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The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced on March 1 that all crossings in the occupied Palestinian territories — including the Rafah border crossing with Egypt — were closing until further notice following joint Israeli-American airstrikes on Iran.

Then, on March 3, COGAT said in a statement that only Kerem Shalom crossing will be gradually reopened to allow the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, under security restrictions and procedures. It asserted that the other crossings, including the one in Rafah, will remain closed, and their reopening will be subject to a security assessment of the situation.

The closure of the Rafah crossing has heightened fear and anxiety among Gazans, as many are asking the same question: Will it last for a long time? Rafah is the only crossing that connects Gaza to the outside world without passing through Israel, and it has been a vital passage for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of patients and the wounded.

In early February, Israel reopened the Rafah border crossing, allowing movement between the Gaza Strip and Egypt for the first time since Israeli forces took control of the border in May 2024. However, movement through the crossing remains limited to highly restricted categories, primarily patients referred for medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip, preventing students who received scholarships to study abroad and others from traveling.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 20,000 people in Gaza are awaiting permission to travel abroad for medical treatment. The ministry stated that the partial operation of the Rafah crossing is far from sufficient to address the scale of the humanitarian crisis. It also reported that critically ill patients allowed to leave for medical care face restrictive conditions imposed by Israel, leaving them mentally and physically exhausted. These include long hours of waiting, unclear procedures, and the constant fear of being turned back without explanation.

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Mohamed Abu Laban, 42, whose leg was injured by explosive bullets, told me that he managed to obtain a medical referral. However, his name remains on the waiting list, and he is awaiting the moment he will be able to travel.

“I am suffering from a seven-centimeter bone loss and urgently need a bone graft. This operation cannot be performed here due to the lack of specialized medical staff and equipment,” he said. “I waited anxiously for the Rafah crossing to reopen, hoping to travel abroad for the surgery so I could stand on my feet again. When it finally opened, I faced restrictions and long delays. Then, just when I believed my travel was imminent, I was shocked by a complete closure following the Israeli attack on Iran. We still do not know when it will reopen. The risk of amputation haunts me every day.”

Rihab Abu Raidah, 22, told me that amid the horrific conditions in Gaza in November 2023 she still managed to apply for the Al-Azhar University scholarship in Egypt, as she has always dreamed of continuing her studies abroad. She told me:

I submitted my Tawjihi certificate and essays and applied to the Faculty of Media. Two weeks later, I received a message confirming my acceptance. At that moment, I was overjoyed. I waited for the Rafah crossing to open, minute by minute, excited to begin my new journey of learning. However, Israeli restrictions on the crossing made it impossible for me to travel. The sudden closure of the Rafah crossing due to the war with Iran has worsened the situation........

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