The partial reopening of the Rafah crossing has allowed a small number of people to leave Gaza over the past week, offering a narrow outlet from a territory still strangled by siege. Since 2 February, only around 180 individuals have been permitted to cross into Egypt, a figure that underscores how restricted movement remains for a population exhausted by months of displacement, deprivation and a continuing genocidal war.

For families inside Gaza, the reopening has brought little sense of relief. Most of those allowed to leave have been people requiring urgent medical care, often after waiting months under collapsing health conditions. For the vast majority, however, the crossing remains effectively closed, reinforcing the reality that Gaza is still cut off from the outside world despite repeated announcements of “easing” measures.

The limited movement has also highlighted the scale of unmet need. Thousands remain trapped, including patients whose treatment is unavailable inside Gaza, while shortages of food, medicine and basic services persist. Residents describe the crossing’s operation as symbolic rather than practical, noting that it does nothing to alter daily life under bombardment, hunger and insecurity caused by the ongoing genocidal war.

As Gaza’s population continues to endure severe restrictions, the narrow flow through Rafah has come to represent not a breakthrough, but a reminder of how tightly controlled every aspect of civilian life remains. For many, true relief will only come with an end to the siege itself and a halt to the destruction that has defined life in Gaza for more than two years.