Israel-Palestine conflict: Rafah crossing is the only route for Gaza aid, why is Egypt keeping it shut?

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.

It has become a focus in the intensifying conflict between Israel and Hamas, as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have headed towards south Gaza after Israel warned them to leave Gaza City and the enclave's north.

Gazans are in dire need of aid — with only 24 hours of water and electricity remaining and a few days of food left at shops. Then, why is Egypt not allowing help to come in?

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Here's the context:

Where is the Rafah crossing and who controls it?

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.

Why is the border so important in this conflict?

In response to a devastating cross-border infiltration by Hamas fighters on October 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.

That means the only likely route for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza is via Rafah from Egypt's Sinai region. It is also the only exit point for Gaza residents seeking to flee.

Foreign passport holders are expected to be allowed out under any deal to reopen the crossing, and have therefore headed in recent days to the vicinity, seeking to exit. Israel has also called on Gazans to move southwards closer to Rafah to shelter from bombardment, although residents say they cannot find safety anywhere in the crowded enclave.

Why is access restricted?

Egypt is wary of insecurity near the border with Gaza in northeastern Sinai, where it faced an insurgency that peaked after 2013 and has now largely been suppressed.

Since Hamas took control in Gaza in 2007, Egypt has helped enforce a blockade of the enclave and heavily restricted the flow of people and goods.

Like the main crossings with Israel, restrictions have sometimes been eased but not lifted, and travellers need security clearance and lengthy checks to pass. In 2008, tens of thousands of Palestinians crossed into Sinai after Hamas blasted holes in border fortifications, prompting Egypt to build a stone and cement wall.

Egypt has acted as a mediator between Israel and Palestinian factions during past conflicts and periods of unrest. But in those situations it has also locked down the border, allowing aid to enter and medical evacuees to leave but preventing any large-scale movement of people.

Even as Israel pursues its heaviest and most unrelenting bombardment of Gaza in response to the Hamas assault, Egypt has shown no sign so far that its approach will change. More than 2,800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombing strikes.

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