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Why is the Rafah Crossing no longer a gateway?

27 0
04.02.2026

What is happening at the Rafah Crossing is not a temporary problem. It is not a technical failure. Rafah has been deliberately changed by the Israeli army after it completely occupied Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip.

It is no longer a border crossing. It now works like a security checkpoint; the same kind Palestinians face every day in the occupied West Bank.

This change is not random. It is political.

A border allows people to move between places. A checkpoint controls people. Rafah no longer allows normal movement. It delays, questions, and blocks Palestinians. Gaza is no longer connected to the outside world through Rafah. People are filtered, searched, and often stopped.

For Palestinians trying to return to Gaza, the experience is especially cruel. Going home is no longer treated as a basic right. It depends on approval,........

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