Palestinians gathered Sunday on both sides of the newly reopened Gaza-Egypt crossing, seeking passage after its first opening since 2024 under a U.S.-backed cease-fire, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared for a Washington trip expected to focus largely on Iran.
The Rafah Crossing opened to a few Palestinians in each direction last week, after Israel retrieved the body of the last hostage held in Gaza and several American officials visited Israel to press for the opening.
Over the first four days of the crossing's opening, just 36 Palestinians requiring medical care were allowed to leave for Egypt, plus 62 companions, according to United Nations data.
Palestinian officials say nearly 20,000 people in Gaza are seeking to leave for medical care that they say is not available in the war-shattered territory.
The few who have succeeded in crossing described delays and allegations of mistreatment by Israeli forces and other groups involved in the crossing, including an Israeli-backed Palestinian armed group, Abu Shabab.
