The Rafah crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border has reopened, with UN humanitarian agencies confirming on 11 June that medical evacuations of patients seeking treatment outside the Gaza Strip are now ready to resume. The crossing had been shut for two days following a closure imposed by Israeli authorities.

Crossing Reopens With Restrictions

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed that the Rafah crossing reopened for a limited number of people travelling in both directions. Assistance was also extended to individuals returning to the Gaza Strip. Separately, the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing also resumed operations for the transport of food and other humanitarian supplies.

However, OCHA cautioned that operations remain severely constrained, noting that Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem is currently the only crossing point available for cargo — a bottleneck that continues to limit the scale of humanitarian response inside Gaza.

WFP Reaches 1.4 Million People

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported reaching approximately 1.4 million people in the Gaza Strip last month with assistance, including food parcels, bread bundles, hot meals, and malnutrition treatment. The agency also provided cash assistance to roughly 500,000 people, according to an update posted on its website.

Detention of Ambulance Crew Draws UN Rebuke

In a separate development, Palestinian armed elements backed by Israeli forces on Tuesday detained several Palestinians, including ambulance crew members from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

In a post on social media platform X, OHCHR urged Israel to ensure public order and safety in Gaza and to refrain from and prevent 'such violations of international law, including the obstruction of medical services.' The United Nations reiterated its call for the protection of civilians, including health-care workers, and full respect for international law.

Violence in the West Bank Continues

OCHA reported that from the beginning of the year through Monday, 57 Palestinians — including 13 children and two women — were killed across the West Bank. Of these, 41 were killed by Israeli forces, 13 by Israeli settlers, and three by either Israeli forces or settlers.

This comes amid a documented surge in settler activity: OCHA has recorded more than 980 settler-related incidents resulting in casualties or property damage across more than 230 communities so far this year, averaging six incidents per day. The figures underscore the breadth of the humanitarian and security crisis extending well beyond Gaza's borders.

What Happens Next

With the Rafah crossing now partially operational, UN agencies are expected to prioritise the most critical medical cases for evacuation. The resumption is fragile, however — previous closures have disrupted care for patients mid-treatment. Aid organisations continue to press for sustained, unrestricted access to both crossings as the humanitarian situation inside Gaza remains acute.