Israel says to allow Gazans to exit to Egypt 'in coming days'

Israel said on Wednesday it would open the Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt to allow residents to exit the Palestinian territory "in the coming days". "In accordance with the ceasefire agreement... the Rafah Crossing will open in the coming days exclusively for the exit of residents from the Gaza Strip to Egypt", COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body that oversees civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, said in a statement. COGAT added that the crossing would operate under the supervision of the EU's Border Assistance Mission, "similar to the mechanism that operated in January 2025", when the crossing was briefly opened during a six-week truce. Two European diplomatic sources told AFP they had originally been preparing for the crossing's opening for pedestrians on Oct. 14 after a similar announcement, before the opening was delayed. Reopening the Rafah crossing is a part of US President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Palestinian territory, as well as something U.N. ...