CAIRO — A second group of Palestinians returning to Gaza arrived on Tuesday at the Rafah crossing with Egypt to complete entry procedures, Egyptian media reported.The returnees had previously traveled to Egypt for medical treatment and health care, according to Al Qahera News. They reached the crossing earlier in the day to finalize administrative formalities before re-entering Gaza.The arrivals come a day after Israel partially reopened Rafah, ending months of near-total closure.Israeli media said that only about 50 Palestinians will be allowed to enter Gaza on Tuesday, while roughly 150 patients and their companions are scheduled to leave the enclave for treatment in Egypt.The first group of Palestinians returning from Egypt arrived at the Rafah border crossing on Monday morning on their way to Gaza.Only five medical evacuees were allowed to leave Gaza, and just 12 Palestinians were allowed to return to the war-torn territory due to delays imposed by the Israeli authorities.Health officials in Gaza estimate that nearly 22,000 patients are waiting for the crossing to fully reopen.Rafah, the enclave’s only non-Israeli gateway, is a critical artery for humanitarian aid and medical evacuations.Israeli forces seized control of the crossing in May 2024, almost nine months into the war on Gaza, which has killed more than 71,000 people and wounded over 171,000 since October 2023, according to local authorities.Despite the October 2025 ceasefire, Gaza’s media office says Israeli attacks have continued, killing 524 people and injuring 1,360.The Rafah terminal was slated to reopen in October under the first phase of a ceasefire agreement, but Israel delayed the move until the remains of its last captive in Gaza were returned last week.Tom Fletcher, United Nations undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said the partial reopening of the Rafah crossing was insufficient, stressing that the border post must function as a genuine humanitarian corridor to deliver life-saving aid.An Egyptian health official told AFP on Monday that three ambulances had arrived with Palestinian patients who were screened upon arrival to determine which hospital to be taken to.AlQahera News, citing Egypt’s health ministry, reported that 150 hospitals and 300 ambulances had been prepared to receive Palestinian patients.But AFP images on Monday showed empty buses crossing back to Egypt after transporting Palestinians to Gaza earlier in the day.Violence continued across the territory on Monday, with Israeli attacks killing at least three Palestinians in central and northern Gaza.The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli drones bombed a location close to an area where people had gathered for a funeral in Nuseirat in central Gaza, killing two people and injuring several.Israeli forces also killed one Palestinian in Halawa Camp in the city of Jabalia in northern Gaza. — Agencies
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