Why Gaza’s Rafah border crossing matters, and why Egypt is keeping it shut

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The Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt is the sole route for aid to enter Gaza directly from outside Israel and the only exit that does not lead to Israeli territory.

The crossing is at the south of the Gaza Strip, a narrow slither of land that is home to 2.3 million people and wedged between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. The crossing is controlled by Egypt.

In response to the cross-border infiltration by Hamas fighters on Oct 7 that killed over 1,300 Israelis, Israel has imposed a “total blockade” of Gaza, cutting off electricity to the territory and stopping all supplies of food and fuel.

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