DAVOS: Gaza’s border crossing with Egypt will reopen next week after largely being shut during the Israel-Hamas war, the Palestinian technocrat leader backed by Washington to administer the enclave announced on Thursday.
Ali Shaath made the announcement by video link during an event in Davos hosted by President Donald Trump, who convened a group of leaders to formally launch a “Board of Peace” initially focused on cementing Gaza’s ceasefire.
A key unfulfilled element of the ceasefire, brokered by Trump in October, has been the reopening of Gaza’s main gateway to the world to allow the entry and exit of Palestinians.
“I am pleased to announce the Rafah crossing will open next week in both directions. For Palestinians in Gaza, Rafah is more than a gate. It is a lifeline and symbol of opportunity,” Shaath said.
“Opening Rafah signals that Gaza is no longer closed to the future and to the war,” Shaath said.
There was no immediate comment from Israel, which has controlled the Rafah crossing since 2024.
The ceasefire deal left Israel in control of more than half of Gaza, including the area that abuts the border crossing. Hamas controls the remainder of the enclave.
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Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt to open next week, Palestinian official says
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Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt to open next week, Palestinian official says
- Palestinian technocrat leader backed by Washington to administer the enclave makes announcement
Radical Israeli settlers post list of their attacks on West Bank Palestinians
JERUSALEM: The radical Israeli settler group Hilltop Youth has published a tally of attacks it says it carried out against Palestinians over the past month in the occupied West Bank, describing the violence as its “struggle against the Arab enemy.”
The movement, known for hard-line activism and involvement in efforts to drive Palestinians from parts of the territory, posted the list on its Telegram channel on Wednesday, detailing incidents it claimed responsibility for.
The tally, titled “Monthly summary of the struggle against the Arab enemy in the Holy Land,” lists 29 vehicles set ablaze, 12 homes torched, “40 Arabs injured,” and hundreds of windows smashed and olive trees cut down across 33 towns and villages.
Five of them are in Mikhmas, a village near Ramallah. A nearby Bedouin community left the area this month, citing sustained harassment.
On Wednesday, the Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry said a 19-year-old had died of wounds sustained after being shot by settlers in Mikhmas.
The Hilltop Youth’s figures reflect a surge in settler violence across the West Bank.
The UN said nearly 700 Palestinians were displaced by settler violence and intimidation in January alone — the highest monthly figure since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
Hilltop Youth is a loose network of hard-line settlers, often made up of small groups of teenagers sometimes overseen by an adult, who establish unauthorized outposts atop West Bank hills.
They are widely accused of using intimidation and violence to push Palestinians out from areas surrounding the outposts.
While most Israeli settlers do not engage in violence, a small but militant fringe has been linked to attacks on Palestinians.
On Tuesday, a group of influential rabbis from settlements in the northern West Bank issued a public letter celebrating settlement expansion while insisting violence was forbidden.
Excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements and outposts, which are illegal under international law.
Around three million Palestinians live in the territory, which Israel has occupied since 1967.
The current Israeli government, considered one of the most right wing in the country’s history, has fast-tracked settlement expansion and recognized some outposts.
It approved a record 54 settlements in 2025, according to Israeli NGO Peace Now.
The movement, known for hard-line activism and involvement in efforts to drive Palestinians from parts of the territory, posted the list on its Telegram channel on Wednesday, detailing incidents it claimed responsibility for.
The tally, titled “Monthly summary of the struggle against the Arab enemy in the Holy Land,” lists 29 vehicles set ablaze, 12 homes torched, “40 Arabs injured,” and hundreds of windows smashed and olive trees cut down across 33 towns and villages.
Five of them are in Mikhmas, a village near Ramallah. A nearby Bedouin community left the area this month, citing sustained harassment.
On Wednesday, the Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry said a 19-year-old had died of wounds sustained after being shot by settlers in Mikhmas.
The Hilltop Youth’s figures reflect a surge in settler violence across the West Bank.
The UN said nearly 700 Palestinians were displaced by settler violence and intimidation in January alone — the highest monthly figure since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
Hilltop Youth is a loose network of hard-line settlers, often made up of small groups of teenagers sometimes overseen by an adult, who establish unauthorized outposts atop West Bank hills.
They are widely accused of using intimidation and violence to push Palestinians out from areas surrounding the outposts.
While most Israeli settlers do not engage in violence, a small but militant fringe has been linked to attacks on Palestinians.
On Tuesday, a group of influential rabbis from settlements in the northern West Bank issued a public letter celebrating settlement expansion while insisting violence was forbidden.
Excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements and outposts, which are illegal under international law.
Around three million Palestinians live in the territory, which Israel has occupied since 1967.
The current Israeli government, considered one of the most right wing in the country’s history, has fast-tracked settlement expansion and recognized some outposts.
It approved a record 54 settlements in 2025, according to Israeli NGO Peace Now.
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