Most of the videos posted online since thepartial reopening of the Rafah crossing, which links theGaza StripandEgypt, on February 2, are celebratory: they show Gazans returning home to bouquets, dances and tearful crowds of journalists and family members. The reopening of this crucial border crossing, which had been closed since it was taken by the Israeli Army in May 2024, was part of theGaza peace plansigned on October 9 by the warring parties.

After going through a number of checkpoints, Palestinians who want to return to the Gaza Strip are bussed across the border, accompanied byUNpersonnel and by men wearing Egyptian colours, as documented in photos taken byAl Jazeeracorrespondent Hani al-Shaer.

The partial border reopening has also meant that some Gazans seeking medical treatment for serious injuries or illnesses have been able to travel to Egypt for medical care. TheUNreported that only 14 of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip were operational by October 2025, after the Israeli Army had carried out at least700 attackson Gazan health centres since operations began in October 2023.

The story of patients being allowed to cross into Egypt for medical care was covered by both local andinternationalpress who are able to access the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing. The Palestinian side of the crossing, which is still within theyellow linecontrolled byIsrael, remains inaccessible to foreign media.

However, the number of people allowed to travel in both directions is still minuscule and not reflective of the need.EUBAM, a European mission tasked with observing and assisting with the operations of Palestinian authorities in Rafah, said there are only 80 to 100 crossings a day. The numbers are roughly split between people seeking to voluntarily return to the Gaza Strip and people seeking to leave Gaza for urgent medical care. No more than two family members are allowed to accompany the patients.

Around20,000 Gazansare waiting to receive medical care abroad, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. At the current rate of crossings, it would take more than a year to get all of these people to health facilities abroad.

My sons name hasnt been selected. How long will he have to wait?

The daily trickle of evacuations has created a difficult situation for people who need medical care outside of the Gaza Strip. Thats the case for 10-year-old Ibrahim whose name has been changed to protect his anonymity who became paraplegic after his spine was injured in an Israeli bomb attack in the summer of 2025. One of his arms was also amputated. His family shared both images and medical documents with our team.

Khadija (not her real name), his mother, wants to travel to Egypt with him as soon as possible so that her son can receive medical care.

Thus far, Ibrahim has not been one of those lucky enough to be evacuated. His mother is afraid that he will remain trapped in the Gaza Strip for months.

Im at the end of my savings, and I cant work here as a journalist

On the other side of the Rafah crossing, in Egypt, journalist Hamza Chalan is also waiting. Chalan wants to return to his homeland, which he left in May 2024, just a few days before Israeltook controlof the Rafah border crossing and crossings became impossible. He was one of the first people to sign up for voluntary return at the Palestinian embassy in Cairo.

Alongside the loss, Hamza Chalan says that he also wants to return to Gaza because he finds it nearly impossible to make ends meet in Egypt. He says he had to sell some of his professional equipment to pay for food and accommodation.

They say that there are armed gangs at the crossing who look through your luggage

Hamza Chalan has looked into the many searches and checks that you must undergo to return. He says he is looking at them with a mix of fear and optimism.

Our team has already documented the existence of armed gangs in Gaza, some of which are supported by the Israeli Army and operate in areas under its control. At least one of these gangs is run by aformer convict, a former drug dealer. We havent been able to independently verify several eyewitness accounts that these gangs are operating at the Rafah crossing. We will publish the information we are gathering on the topic as soon as possible.

This article has been translated fromthe original in Frenchby Brenna Daldorph.

Originally published on France24