EU plans to open the border in Rafah: New hope for the Gaza Strip!

EU plans to open the border in Rafah: New hope for the Gaza Strip!

The European Union plans to support the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, which is associated with the sending of border protection experts. According to a report by Radio Euskirchen , these measures were approved by representatives of the EU member states in Brussels. A revised surgical planning for the EU mission to support border protection, known as Eubam Rafah, is the focus of this initiative.

The EU mission was originally launched in 2005 to support control at the Rafah border crossing. Since then, the EU personnel at the border crossing has not been present since Hamas took over in 2007 because the EU rejects cooperation with Hamas. From the beginning of February 2025, a low double-digit number of EU border protection experts and support forces should monitor and accompany the border crossing.

importance of the Rafah border transition

The reopening of the Rafah border crossing is part of a three-phase agreement between Hamas and Israel to terminate the Gaza War. This initiative should enable more humanitarian aid for the Palestinians to introduce the Gaza Strip. According to the EU Commission, the EU's humanitarian aid has reached a total of more than 450 million euros for the Gaza Strip since 2023. The EU recently announced a new aid package of 120 million euros in order to provide the urgently needed support and to ensure the survival of the population. This was known by of the EU Commission given.

The EU BAM Rafah is the second EU crisis management mission of the EU in the Palestinian areas and is considered one of the important initiatives to promote stability in the region. Already in its original mandate, which was based in 2005 on the basis of the agreement on movement and access between Israel and the Palestinian authority, the mission aimed to create a third party presence at the border crossing in order to strengthen the trust between the conflict parties. During their first posting, around 70 people monitor the operations at the border crossing.

future perspectives

The responsibility of the experts will be to monitor controls at the border crossing and ensure that the agreements between Hamas and Israel are observed. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock confirmed the willingness of Germany to support the EU mission in Rafah by sending specialists. This underlines the importance of an international presence that not only pursues border protection, but also humanitarian concerns.

People in the Gaza Strip face serious challenges, especially with regard to food supply and basic health care. The new auxiliary package of 120 million euros should provide food aid, medical care and support in water and wastewater supply. Hadja Lahbib, EU Commissioner, also called for unhindered access to humanitarian support.

Future development in connection with the EU BAM Rafah, the opening of the border and the humanitarian support will be decisive for whether and how the situation of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip can improve. The EU is ready to expand its role as a supportive international institution as soon as the political and security conditions allow it.