Rafah Border Crossing

About Rafah Crossing: 

• Between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, it  is the sole route for aid to enter Gaza directly from outside Israel and the only exit that does not lead to Israeli territory.

• The crossing is at the south of the Gaza Strip and controlled by Egypt.
• Thousands of Palestinians have headed towards south Gaza after Israel warned them to leave Gaza City. 

Importance of Rafah crossing: 

• It is the only route for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza via Rafah from Egypt’s Sinai region. 
• It is also the only exit point for Gaza residents seeking to flee.

Why is access to Rafah restricted? 

• Egypt is wary of insecurity near the border with Gaza  where it faced an Islamist insurgency. 
• Since Hamas took control in Gaza in 2007, Egypt has restricted the flow of people and goods.
• Restrictions have sometimes been eased but not lifted, and travelers need security clearance and lengthy checks to pass.
• Egypt has mediated disputes between Israeli and Palestinian groups, but it has also closed the border, permitting humanitarian supplies, evacuation of medical personnel but restricting the mass movement of people.

Efforts to open border: 

• The United Nations has urged Israel to avert a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza, warning that food, fuel and even drinking water supplies are running dangerously low.
• Hospitals say they are struggling to cope with the wounded as back-up generators run low on fuel.
• Egyptian aid trucks moved closer to the crossing  but it was unclear when or whether they would be able to cross into Gaza.
• U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday the United States and Israel had agreed to develop a plan to get humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza without benefiting Hamas.

Why in news?

Egypt is keeping Gaza’s Rafah border crossing closed.