Cairo ready to receive wounded from Gaza, deliver aid once Rafah crossing reopens: Egypt
'Crisis management centre is working on possible scenarios, including the delivery of aid,' says North Sinai governor.
Egypt has said that it is ready to receive wounded people from Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to the enclave once the Rafah border crossing is reopened.
North Sinai Governor Maj. Gen. Khaled Mujawir told Egyptian state television on Wednesday that the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing is prepared for developments on the ground.
“The crisis management centre is working on possible scenarios, including the delivery of aid, if developments allow, in preparation for the reopening of the crossing,” Mujawir said.
Noting that Egypt has made prior preparations, he stressed that coordination is ongoing with the crisis centre in Cairo and all state institutions.
“We are 100 percent ready for the entry of aid and for receiving the wounded from Gaza.”
According to Israel’s state broadcaster KAN, the Rafah crossing is expected to reopen in both directions on February 1.
Fulfilling first phase conditions
US President Donald Trump announced on October 9 2025, that Israel and Hamas had approved the first phase of a ceasefire plan for Gaza during ongoing negotiations in Egypt. The ceasefire went into effect the next day, following approval by the Israeli government.
The body of the last Israeli captive in Gaza, Ran Gvili, was recovered and returned to Israel on January 26, with Palestinian groups in Gaza largely fulfilling the conditions of the first phase of the agreement.
Despite the ceasefire, the Israeli army has continued attacks against Palestinians in Gaza under various pretexts.
Meanwhile, Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced on January 14 that the second phase of a 20-point Gaza plan had begun and that a Gaza National Administration Committee made up of Palestinian technocrats had been formed under the leadership of Ali Shaath to govern the enclave.
The reopening of the Rafah crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border, which Israel has kept closed and under its control since May 2024, and allowing humanitarian aid to enter Gaza in agreed quantities are also among the commitments in the first phase of the agreement.