Israel wants to restrict the number of Palestinians entering Gaza through the border crossing with Egypt to ensure that more are allowed out than in, three sources briefed on the matter told Reuters ahead of the border’s expected opening next week.

The head of a transitional Palestinian committee backed by the US to temporarily administer Gaza, Ali Shaath, announced on Thursday that the Rafah Border Crossing — effectively the sole route in or out of Gaza for nearly all of the more than 2 million people who live there — would open next week. Israel has not approved or confirmed the move, and the cabinet is set to discuss the issue on Sunday.

Under US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan, the border is supposed to open after Hamas returns all the hostages in Gaza. Hamas still has the body of Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, who was killed defending Kibbutz Alumim in southern Israel during the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza.

The Rafah Crossing was shut by Egypt after Israeli forces seized the Gaza side in May 2024, but was briefly reopened in early 2025 during a short-lived ceasefire. Israel........

© The Times of Israel