Israel Has Closed Gaza’s Rafah Border With Egypt Again While It Continues Bombing Iran With The US
On Feb. 28, Israel announced it had closed the border due to “security concerns” and that it will remain closed until further notice.
Israel has closed the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s border with Egypt, as it continues bombing Iran with the US.
Israel had only reopened the Rafah crossing, the only way for most Palestinians to exit Gaza, just weeks earlier on Feb. 2, after closing it in May 2024 as part of its full-blown invasion of Rafah and continuing to block its opening despite agreeing to a “ceasefire” with Hamas in October 2025.
The crossing is vital for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of critically ill patients and had been a “lifeblood” for the small amounts of aid entering Gaza during Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
The brief reopening had allowed a limited number of Palestinians to leave for the first time in months, including patients in urgent need of medical care.
But on Sunday, Feb. 28, Israel announced it had closed the border due to “security concerns” and that it will remain closed until further notice.
“It should be emphasized that the closure of the crossings will have no impact on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,” Israel’s military agency (COGAT) said in a statement on X, adding that people in Gaza should have enough food and supplies for “an extended period”.
Human rights groups and international organizations, including the UN, have said aid delivery is insufficient despite the border reopening as Israel also moved to ban humanitarian aid groups from delivering or providing assistance in Gaza by demanding 37 international NGOs from disclosing detailed, personal information about Palestinian staff.
Flavie Chen
Cherry Mohamed
Sofia Hou
