The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip is set to reopen on Sunday after almost a year, allowing Palestinians to leave the war-torn territory and marking the end of the first phase of US President Donald Trump's peace plan.
Israel's COGAT authority, which is in charge of implementing Israeli policy in the Palestinian Territories, announced the move on Friday.
Rafah is considered the most important gateway from the Gaza Strip to the outside world, as the only crossing that does not lead to Israel.
The Israeli military took control of the Palestinian side of the border point during its offensive in the Gaza Strip in May 2024 and has controlled it since.
It remains unclear how many people will be able to enter or leave the coastal territory via the crossing on a daily basis.
Israeli authorities and the military said the crossing would be opened "for limited movement of people."
According to the health authority in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the Islamist group Hamas, around 20,000 sick Palestinians are currently waiting to leave the territory for treatment in Egypt. Among them are 440 acute cases where the patients' survival is at stake.
Around 4,000 cancer patients and 4,500 children are also on an emergency list.
Humanitarian aid deliveries for the largely destroyed Palestinian territory will continue to enter Gaza via other border crossings.
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