Albares says the partial reopening of the Rafah crossing is “good news” but “very insufficient”

Eduardo González Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated this Monday that the limited reopening of the Rafah crossing, which connects the Gaza Strip with Egypt, is “good news” but “very insufficient,” because it does not allow “humanitarian aid to enter on a massive scale.” Israeli authorities announced this Sunday, February 1, the reopening of the Rafah border crossing “in accordance with the ceasefire agreement” brokered by the United States last October between Israel and Hamas. The objective of this measure is to facilitate “the limited passage of residents only,” according to the Israeli administration for the occupied Palestinian territories, COGAT. According to this decision, only people are allowed to cross (150 Palestinians per day, mainly the sick and wounded, from Gaza to Egypt, and only 50 people in the opposite direction), but not trucks carrying humanitarian aid. The reopening was made possible after the activation of a pilot program with the participation of the Palestinian Authority and observers from the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM). According to the European Union's press officer in Jerusalem, Shadi Othman, this is a "trial to facilitate the limited movement of Palestinians to and from the Gaza Strip." The Rafah crossing had been closed since May 2024, except for a brief opening following the short-lived ceasefire in January 2025. "It is undoubtedly good news that the Rafah crossing is reopening," Albares told the program 'Cafè d'idees' on La 2 Cat and Ràdio 4. "We have been requesting this for literally years," he asserted. "Spain has participated with the largest contingent in the European Union mission precisely to guarantee, together with the Palestinian Authority, the smooth flow of traffic at this crossing," he added. However, he warned that the reopening “is still a step that, while welcome and something to celebrate, is very insufficient.” “We are talking about a crossing exclusively for pedestrians, for people, and what we demand is that all land crossings be opened so that humanitarian aid can also enter en masse,” he stated. “Humanitarian aid—food, medical, educational—must be able to enter Gaza without any problems,” he declared. Ceasefire violations In any case, according to Albares, “it is clear” that Israel is “repeatedly violating” the ceasefire. “Therefore, in this Phase 2 that is beginning, what we have to do is consolidate that ceasefire, a ceasefire that, evidently, allowed the massacre that was taking place in Gaza to be reduced,” he warned. According to the minister, “there are still many deaths, and there are still recurring violations of that ceasefire.” Therefore, he affirmed, “we must achieve a permanent, definitive ceasefire, and from there, begin to take steps toward real peace.” “Real peace, peace for Israelis and Palestinians, security for Israelis and Palestinians, is the solution of states, establishing a State of Palestine that lives in good neighborliness with the State of Israel,” Albares insisted. Specifically, the Spanish Government condemned on Monday “the continued attacks by Israeli forces on the Gaza Strip,” which “violate the ceasefire” and have “already caused the deaths of over 500 Palestinians and the destruction of vital infrastructure.” “The Spanish Government urges the Israeli Government to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2803, as well as with international humanitarian law,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release. “All parties must commit to complying with the ceasefire and avoid any obstacles to advancing Phase II of the Gaza peace plan,” it added. “Spain reaffirms its firm commitment to peace and stability, working with its regional partners to implement Resolution 2803 and the New York Declaration, which will allow for a lasting solution to the conflict based on the implementation of the two-state solution,” the statement concludes.

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