Rafah Crossing reopens under EU supervision, Egyptians protest against Palestinian displacement

RAFAH  (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The plan to reopen the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt is set to begin on Friday under the supervision of a multinational European force to secure the crossing.

The ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which came into effect on January 19, stipulates that 600 trucks of humanitarian aid will enter the Gaza Strip daily and that the Rafah crossing will be opened seven days after the agreement takes effect.

According to the agreement, the European Security Mission (EUBAM) will manage the crossing alongside Palestinians from Gaza who are not affiliated with Hamas and are likely linked to the Palestinian Authority, but without direct official supervision from it. According to Palestinian sources, these Palestinians have received Israeli approval to oversee the operation of the crossing.

The agreement also allows members of Hamas’s military wing who were injured during the war to exit for medical treatment abroad, with permission to return to the Gaza Strip after completing their treatment.

According to the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the European Union will send about 100 border officers to the crossing, along with trained dogs to assist in inspection operations, while enhancing security by deploying guards to protect the European officers.

On the Palestinian side, the Palestinian Authority will be responsible for providing officers to monitor the border. A senior European official confirmed that the European force will play a key role in implementing the first phase of the ceasefire, facilitating the passage of about 200 Palestinians daily from Gaza to Egypt, most of them being the injured and their companions.

On another note, there will be thorough security checks for travelers crossing the border, including identity verification and ensuring they are not carrying weapons.

The EUBAM was established in 2005 to support the Palestinian Authority in managing the crossing but ceased operations in 2007. Later, Israel requested the European Union to redeploy this force with the support of Egypt and the United States, which considers it a reliable entity to ensure the security of the crossing.

This step is part of international efforts to restore security and stability to Gaza, focusing on facilitating the movement of civilians, especially patients and injured individuals needing treatment outside the Strip.

In a related context, hundreds of Egyptian citizens demonstrated in front of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip in response to calls from political parties to express their rejection of attempts to displace Palestinians from their lands.

Various regions in Egypt saw buses transporting large numbers of participants towards North Sinai, where demonstrators raised slogans such as “No to the displacement of the Palestinian people” and “No to the liquidation of the Palestinian cause,” alongside flags of Egypt and Palestine.

Activists circulated images and videos on social media showing the large numbers heading to the Rafah crossing, in a step described as a widespread expression of public rejection of any attempts to displace Palestinians or violate their legitimate rights.

Fareed Zahran, the head of the Egyptian Democratic Social Party, confirmed that the demonstration aims to send a clear message of protest to the world against what he described as “unjust plans” that threaten the stability of the region and violate international law.

Zahran explained that this grassroots movement comes under a unified banner, free from the umbrella of parties or factions, emphasizing the raising of only Egyptian and Palestinian flags and signs supporting the Palestinian people.

Earlier, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had affirmed Egypt’s firm rejection of any plans to displace Palestinians, stressing that such plans represent “injustice in which Cairo will not participate.” Sisi reiterated Egypt’s support for the two-state solution as the only way to achieve peace and stability.

This was preceded by statements from U.S. President Donald Trump last Sunday, saying that Jordan and Egypt should take in more Palestinians from Gaza, after the Israeli war on the Strip caused a humanitarian crisis. His statements received widespread Palestinian and international condemnation, as they align with Israeli plans and clash with the rights of the Palestinian people.

Sisi’s statements found broad support from Egyptian political parties and professional unions, which emphasized the necessity of preserving the rights of the Palestinian people and establishing their independent state.