Skip to main content

EU ministers agree to revive Rafah border mission

1 min Mena Today

The European Union will restart a civilian mission to monitor the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt at Rafah, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday.

A view of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, as trucks carrying aid wait to cross, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, Egypt, January 19, 2025. ReutersMohamed Abd El Ghany

A view of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, as trucks carrying aid wait to cross, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, Egypt, January 19, 2025. ReutersMohamed Abd El Ghany

The European Union will restart a civilian mission to monitor the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt at Rafah, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday.

“Everyone agrees that EUBAM Rafah can play a decisive role in supporting the ceasefire,” Kallas said.

“Today, EU Foreign Ministers agreed to redeploy it to the Rafah Crossing Point between Gaza and Egypt. This will allow a number of injured individuals to leave Gaza and receive medical care,” she added.

A civilian EU mission to help monitor the Rafah crossing was agreed in 2005 but suspended in June 2007 as a result of Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip.

In its current stand-by mode, the mission has 10 international and eight local staff.

Reporting by Lili Bayer

Related

Iran

Islamabad talks may restart within days

Negotiating teams from the U.S. and Iran could return to Islamabad later this week, five sources said on Tuesday, days after the highest-level talks between the two countries in decades ended without a breakthrough.

Strait of Hormuz

US blockade begins as Iran warns Gulf neighbours

The deadline passed on Monday for the start of a U.S. military blockade of ships leaving Iran's ports, and Tehran threatened to retaliate against ports of its Gulf neighbours after weekend talks on ending the war broke down.

Lebanon

Border town under fire as Israel–Lebanon talks loom

Israeli troops launched an attack on Monday to seize a key town in south Lebanon from Hezbollah fighters holed up there, pressing the war on the Iran-backed group on the eve of rare talks between Israeli and Lebanese government envoys.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.