Khaberni - The first bus arrived in the Gaza Strip via the Rafah land border crossing late on Monday evening, amid strict Israeli restrictions and procedures, on the first day of actual operation of the crossing that had been closed for more than a year and a half.
The bus carried only 12 passengers, including 3 children and the rest women.
The travelers reached the courtyard of Nasser Medical Complex, which was prepared to receive the returnees from outside the sector, after their journey took about 20 hours during which they underwent thorough inspections directly and lengthy interrogations by the Israeli army, according to Al Jazeera.
The returnees confirmed that they were detained at military checkpoints inside the Gaza Strip, specifically on Salah al-Din Street, which turned into a military road for the Israeli forces, for a distance exceeding 20 km.
Palestinian and Israeli sources mentioned that the original plan for the first day of the crossing's operation was for 50 injured from Gaza to leave with their companions, in exchange for the return of 50 Palestinians stranded in Egypt, but the Israeli side only approved the exit of 5 injured, according to a Palestinian medical official.
Welcome the step
The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, welcomed the partial reopening of the Rafah Crossing for the movement of people to and from Gaza, but he considered that this measure is not enough, affirming that the crossing should operate as a real humanitarian corridor for delivering life-saving aid.
Qatar confirmed that opening the Rafah Crossing in the southern Gaza Strip to the movement of Palestinians is "a step in the right direction towards addressing the tragic situations of civilians, especially in humanitarian and health aspects."
The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized on Monday the necessity of all parties to comply with the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip fully, and to open the crossings to ensure the sustainable and unobstructed flow of humanitarian aid to the sector.
The ministry reiterated Qatar's steadfast and perpetual stance in supporting the Palestinian cause and the resilience of the Palestinian people "based on the resolutions of international legality and the two-state solution, ensuring the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital."
Ali Shaath, head of the National Committee for the Management of Gaza, considered that opening the Rafah Crossing is "an important step that opens a window of hope for the residents of the Gaza Strip, especially regarding humanitarian cases."
The German agency quoted Shaath saying that "operating the crossing in both directions represents an important station for organizing the movement and alleviating humanitarian burdens," expecting it to provide a vital outlet for patients, the wounded, students, and family reunions.
Limited numbers
The actual operation of the Rafah land crossing began in both directions on Monday, for the first time since May 2024, following a trial phase that took place yesterday, Sunday, as part of the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
During the day, the first batch of Palestinian patients and wounded exited the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing to the Egyptian side for treatment.
The German news agency quoted Palestinian sources saying that 5 Palestinian patients, accompanied by 10 people, managed to cross to the Egyptian territories, noting that the exit process witnessed a significant delay due to imposed inspection and scrutiny procedures.
Egyptian-side sources also reported that dozens of Palestinians headed since the early hours of Monday to the Rafah Crossing from the Egyptian side, hoping to cross into the Gaza Strip, with the start of implementing the new arrangements agreed upon.
It is estimated that about 80,000 Palestinians are present in Egypt and are awaiting permission to return through the crossing to the Gaza Strip.
Field targeting
A source at Al-Awda Hospital reported injuries following an Israeli drone strike on the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza Strip.
Earlier, a medical source at "Nasser Hospital" announced the martyrdom of two Palestinians, one of them a child, by Israeli forces' gunfire outside their deployment areas in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis.
The source reported several Palestinians were injured, varying in severity, after gunfire from military vehicles targeted tents of displaced people in the area.
Also, a source at "Al-Shifa Hospital," in Gaza City, reported the martyrdom of a Palestinian by Israeli forces' gunfire outside their deployment areas in the Jabalia town area, north of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli drones fired live bullets at citizens on Al-Nuzha Street in central Jabalia town.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Army confirmed that it killed four Palestinians near the Yellow Line north of the Gaza Strip on Monday, stating they posed a threat to its forces.
On the other hand, the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas revealed that it had completed the necessary procedures in governmental and administrative bodies in preparation for handing them over to the National Committee for the Management of Gaza, urging all parties to facilitate the work of the National Committee for the Management of Gaza, to commence the recovery process after two years of war.
