Today in Focus Hope in Gaza? Vital crossing reopens under Israeli restrictions - The Latest
Feb 3, 2026
Emma Graham-Harrison, Chief Middle East correspondent at The Guardian, reports from Gaza with frontline experience. She discusses Rafah's limited reopening and who it actually helps. She outlines the scale of medical need, daily transfer limits, and what happened at the crossing. She also considers ongoing violence despite pauses and the challenges for moving into the next phase of the ceasefire.
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Rafah Is Gaza's Artery
- Rafah is Gaza's primary artery to the outside world and has been closed since May 2024.
- Its closure has blocked not just medical evacuations but study, work and family movement for nearly two years.
Mother Separated From 11 Children
- A mother left Gaza with an injured child while her other 11 children stayed behind for nearly two years.
- She desperately wanted to return to her devastated family but was separated by the closed crossing.
Urgent Medical Need Is Massive
- About 20,000 Palestinians urgently need medical care outside Gaza, many with cancer and children among them.
- For many, leaving Gaza is their only hope because local hospitals were devastated and cannot provide complex treatments.