The reopening of the Rafah crossing is "vital" for Gaza Strip's recovery and bringing more humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza, an official with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Sunday.
Israel announced Sunday that the Rafah crossing, Gaza's main gateway to the outside world closed for more than a year and a half, has reopened for a trial run ahead of the planned passage of Palestinians on Monday.
The reopening of the crossing, which connects the Gaza Strip with Egypt, is a key step under the Israel-Hamas ceasefire that took effect on Oct 10, 2025.
Following the Israeli announcement, Patrick Griffiths, spokesman of the Delegation in Israel and Occupied Territories with the ICRC, talked about the significance toward the reopening of the key border crossing with China Global Television Network (CGTN).
"We're hopeful that the opening of the Rafah crossing might mean that people are able to reconnect with families that they've been separated from. We're hopeful that it might mean that Palestinians in Gaza who urgently need to be medically evacuated might be able to do so. And we're hopeful that it means that more humanitarian assistance might be able to enter Gaza, which is incredibly important, if not vital, for Palestinians in Gaza to begin the long journey toward recovery that needs to happen. In terms of what actually happens when it comes to the opening of the Rafah crossing, all of that, it is up to the decision-makers. We are not one of those, but we wait and see. We have hope that in the meantime all we can do is continue to advocate, continue to call for more humanitarian assistance to be able to enter Gaza. If the opening of the Rafah crossing allows that to happen, that's a good thing," said Griffiths.
Reopening of Rafah crossing 'vital' for Gaza recovery, humanitarian aid: spokesman
