Rafah crossing receives new group of returning Palestinians to Gaza
via Egypt Today2 min read
On Tuesday, June 30, 2026, a new group of returning Palestinians arrived at the Rafah Border crossing on the Egyptian side, preparing to enter the Gaza Strip. An official source at the Rafah border crossing confirmed that procedures were being completed for the 57th group of returnees. Teams from the Egyptian Red Crescent received the Palestinians at the crossing, facilitating their return, distributing return kits, and offering psychological support to children. Egyptian Red Crescent teams at the Rafah crossing provided relief services, including psychological support for children, family reunification assistance, personal hygiene items, and return kits. Concurrently, Egyptian authorities are preparing to receive a new group of wounded and sick Palestinians from the Gaza Strip for medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals. The Egyptian Ministry of Health has set up a medical point at the Rafah land crossing to examine arrivals, triage cases, and transport them to hospitals using equipped ambulances.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Egypt Today.
Must ReadEgyptian General Intelligence Service Director Hassan Rashad and his Turkish counterpart Ibrahim Kalin met with senior Hamas leaders, including Khaled Meshaal, Khalil al-Hayya, and Mohammad Hassan, to discuss the implementation of the U.S. peace plan. The summit aimed to clear obstacles blocking the plan, with a focus on stabilizing the Gaza Strip and Libya. Hamas leaders explicitly affirmed their full endorsement of U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 peace roadmap and pledged to dismantle hurdles impeding the deal. Following the intelligence summit, a Hamas negotiating delegation arrived in Cairo to resume talks on the roadmap's second phase, with high-level security sources describing the atmosphere as "overwhelmingly positive" and expressing optimism for the peace framework's completion.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi congratulated Egyptians on the anniversary of the June 30 Revolution. In a post on his official Facebook account, President El-Sisi stated that the revolution embodied the will of the Egyptian people to preserve the identity of the Egyptian state and restore its correct path towards the future. He added that the revolution will remain a symbol of the unity of the Egyptian people, their ability to face challenges, and their determination to build a strong, modern state. President El-Sisi renewed his pledge to continue on the path of building and preserving the nation's constants, strengthening its capabilities to achieve security, stability, and progress under the new republic of Egypt.
Must ReadThe International Monetary Fund and Egypt have reached a staff-level agreement on the seventh review of Egypt's economic reform program. This agreement, if approved by the IMF Executive Board, would unlock approximately $1.6 billion in financing, including $1.5 billion under the Extended Fund Facility and $136 million through the Resilience and Sustainability Facility. The IMF noted Egypt's economic resilience despite regional and global pressures, with real GDP growth reaching 5 percent in the third quarter, bringing the first three quarters of the fiscal year to 5.2 percent. Gross international reserves remained stable, and portfolio inflows supported the exchange rate. Egypt also exceeded primary balance and tax revenue targets by March 2026, with the primary surplus projected to rise to 5 percent of GDP in FY2026/27. Progress in domestic revenue mobilization is expected to increase the tax-to-GDP ratio by 1.2 percentage points this year. However, the IMF warned of risks from geopolitical tensions and global inflation, with headline urban inflation projected to reach 15.8 percent by the end of the fiscal year. The fund emphasized the importance of exchange rate flexibility, improved debt management, and accelerated structural reforms, including the State Ownership Policy, to boost private sector-led growth and job creation.