Gaza border reopening long awaited by stranded Palestinians

Children practice parkour on a sand dune near tents housing displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. Pictire: AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana

Cut off from family or urgently requiring hospital care, Palestinians stranded on each side of Gaza'sRafah crossing waited with growing desperation for Monday's reopening of the border as a delayed part of October's ceasefire deal.

How fully crossings to and from Egypt will resume, and under what conditions, remains unclear, with Israel retaining complete control of Gaza's frontier, but for those waiting to travel, even a partial reopening feels long overdue.