Rafah crossing reopened in Feb 2026 under ceasefire, but strict limits and harsh treatment hindered aid and medical evacuations.

Gaza’s Rafah crossing reopened in early February 2026 under a fragile ceasefire, allowing limited movement for medical evacuations and returnees, but strict restrictions and reports of harsh treatment have severely limited its impact. Only 50 people per day were allowed into Gaza and 50 medical patients—each with two companions—could leave, yet only 36 patients and 62 companions crossed in the first four days. Travelers reported lengthy delays, interrogations, and allegations of being handcuffed and blindfolded by Israeli forces and an Israeli-backed Palestinian group. The crossing was briefly closed amid confusion, and over 19,000 Palestinians in Gaza remain in urgent need of medical care.