By Lili Bayer and Nidal al-Mughrabi
BRUSSELS/CAIRO (Reuters) – The European Union has restarted its civilian mission to monitor the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt at Rafah, a key entry and exit point for the Palestinian territory, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Friday.
The health ministry of Hamas-run Gaza said the first Palestinians – injured civilians and militant fighters – would enter Egypt on Saturday via the Rafah crossing, which has been shut to human traffic since last May.
People will only be allowed to travel in one direction, from Gaza to Egypt, for the time being, officials said.
Kallas announced on Monday there was broad agreement among member states that the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) could play a “decisive role” in supporting the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
“The EU’s civilian border mission deploys today (Friday) to the Rafah Crossing at the request of the Palestinians and the Israelis. It will support Palestinian border personnel and allow the transfer of individuals out of Gaza, including those who need medical care,” she posted on X.
Egyptian security sources confirmed that members of the EU team had arrived at the facility.
The crossing will now be run by members of the Palestinian Authority and European monitors, PA and Hamas officials said.
It will be opened initially for 50 injured militants and 50 wounded civilians, along with the people escorting them, the officials said, adding that a further 100 people, most likely students, would be allowed through on humanitarian grounds.
Gaza’s health ministry said the transportation of patients from two hospitals in the north and south of the enclave would be coordinated with the World Health Organization.
A civilian EU mission to help monitor the Rafah crossing began work there in 2005 but was suspended in June 2007 after Hamas, a militant Islamist group, took over the Gaza Strip.
In standby mode thereafter, the mission had maintained 10 international and eight local staff.
Spain, Italy and France are now contributing personnel to the renewed mission.
The Spanish continent comprises eight security specialists and two agents assigned to the border management team, joining two Spanish members of the mission already deployed there, the foreign and interior ministries in Madrid said.
France said it had deployed three gendarmes specialised in border policing on Friday as part of the EU mission, while Italy said it had sent seven paramilitary Carabinieri officers to join two Italians already at the Rafah mission.
German ministries are also discussing sending a contingent.
(Reporting by Lili Bayer in Brussels and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo. Additional reporting by Ahmed Mohamed Hassan in Cairo, John Irish in Paris and Emma Pinedo Gonzalez in Madrid; Writing by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by GV De Clercq, Kevin Liffey and Gareth Jones)
