Egypt’s Rafah Crossing Expected to Remain Closed for Gaza Aid Deliveries

Jerusalem, 20 October, 2023 (TPS-IL) -- Despite efforts of Western governments to open an aid corridor into the Gaza Strip, the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border is expected to remain closed on Friday, according to media reports.

In spite of continuing talks on opening the border crossing between Israel, Egypt and the United States, sources said the area remains “volatile” and will not yet be opened.

Rafah is the only border crossing out of Gaza controlled by Egypt, not Israel, but has remained closed since the Hamas attack on October 7.

The crossing is not equipped to handle large numbers of commercial deliveries. Commercial deliveries to the Strip from Egypt are routed through Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing, which is adjacent to the Egypt-Gaza border.

The Kerem Shalom crossing is closed for security reasons.