Partial reopening of the Rafah crossing (February 3, 2026)

France welcomes the partial reopening of the Rafah border crossing in both directions, allowing for the first medical evacuations. We also welcome the redeployment of both the EU Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah Crossing Point (EUBAM Rafah) and Palestinian Authority personnel, who must be able to fully perform their duties at the crossing in accordance with the terms that were previously agreed upon.

The reopening of the crossing is an important first step in the implementation of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan. All efforts must now focus on the massive, unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza through all crossing points, the rebuilding of the enclave and the re-establishment of a political horizon in order to forge a lasting peace. France calls on the parties to abide by their commitments in this regard and deplores the ceasefire violations that have taken place in Gaza in recent days, including the Israeli airstrikes on January 31, which killed numerous civilians.

France, along with its partners, stands ready to help with the implementation of the peace plan’s next steps and UNSC resolution 2803. We are deploying six members of the National Gendarmerie to the EUBAM mission, whose goal is to provide support for securing the border crossing and for the redeployment of the Palestinian Authority, which is tasked with overseeing operations at the Rafah crossing. We are prepare to increase our contribution through an additional deployment.