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Monday, May 18, 2026
Israel denies that Rafah Crossing into Gaza has been closed, points to WHO delays
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleNurit Yohanan is The Times of Israel's Palestinian and Arab world correspondent
Israel denies that the Rafah Crossing into Gaza has been shut, following reports in Hamas-linked media claiming that it had been.
COGAT, the Defense Ministry body that organizes Israeli activity in Gaza and the West Bank, says in response to a query from The Times of Israel that due to a backlog at the World Health Organization, people have not been entering or leaving every day, but the crossing itself is not closed.
WHO coordinates the entry and exit of patients and wounded people through the Rafah Crossing, which reopened in February after being shut for more than a year. Under an Egyptian-Israeli agreement, up to 50 medical patients are allowed to leave per day along with two family members to accompany each of them.
The Times of Israel Community.