Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) announced late on February 28 that several crossing points into the Gaza Strip, including the Rafah terminal, have been closed until further notice following airstrikes on Iran carried out by Israeli and U.S. forces. The statement said planned rotations of humanitarian personnel are suspended, a move that immediately curtails the flow of aid workers and staff relief operations into Gaza.
Rafah is Gaza’s principal gateway to Egypt and has been a critical channel for humanitarian supplies, medical evacuations and the limited movement of civilians since large-scale hostilities began. Closing Rafah removes one of the few remaining lifelines for a population facing shortages of food, fuel and medicine, and complicates the work of humanitarian agencies that rely on predictable access to deliver aid and sustain essential services.
The reported closures follow a new and dangerous phase of regional escalation: airstrikes attributed to Israel and the United States against targets in Iran. Whether intended as punitive strikes, pre-emptive measures or a signal of deterrence, the action has heightened caution along multiple borders and prompted Israeli authorities to restrict movement into Gaza on security grounds. Egypt’s role is pivotal given Rafah’s location on its territory, and any decision to suspend cross-border traffic involves Cairo’s own calculus about domestic security and regional diplomacy.
Beyond the immediate disruption to aid operations, the closures carry wider political and strategic consequences. Humanitarian agencies will face mounting logistical bottlenecks and rising operational risk, while international pressure on Washington, Jerusalem and Cairo may intensify to reopen crossings or arrange alternative corridors. The episode also illustrates how a confrontation with Iran can reverberate through the Israeli–Palestinian theatre, increasing the probability of further escalation and complicating efforts to stabilize the humanitarian situation in Gaza.