Wetin be Rafah crossing and why e be Gaza lifeline?

Di first civilian from di Gaza strip don cross di Rafah border into Egypt since di Israel-Gaza war start.

Dem don carry dozens of Palestinians wey injure for ambulance and more dan 100 foreign passport holder don cross di border on Wednesday.

Some 80 wey injure and 500 foreign and dual nationals go leave, base on deal wit Qatar.

Dis na di first evacuation since di conflict don start more dan three weeks ago. E neva clear wen dem go close di border.

Dem don open di gate for more dan 10 days make medical aid dey enta Gaza. So far, more dan 200 trucks don cross di border but dem still need more.

Wetin be Rafah crossing?

Rafah crossing na di southernmost post of exit from Gaza and border Egypt Sinai desert.

Na only two oda border crossings dey from and into di Gaza strip - Erez, one border crossing wit Israel for north Gaza, and Kerem Shalom, one solely commercial junction between Israel and Gaza. Di two dey closed.

Why e dey important now?

Hamas forces bin attack Erez crossing for northern Gaza on 7 October and e destroy am well-well.

Days later, Israel declare say Erez go remain closed until further notice, dis don make di Rafah border become di only point of entry and exit for civilians wey wan enta and to comot from Gaza.

Rafah now na also crossing point wey humanitarian aid must also pass from dia.

Last week, Egyptian foreign ministry bin tok say dem dey direct international aid flights for Gaza go di al-Arish airport for northern Sinai, and dozens of lorries wey dey carry fuel and humanitarian goods don park near di Rafah crossing, dey wait to pass through.

Wetin dey occur for di crossing?

Since di start of di Hamas attacks against Israel on 7 October, different conflicting reports don spread on top di situation for di Rafah border crossing.

Na Hamas and Egypt bin dey exercise control ova who fit pass through, but Israel scata di crossing wen dem bomb di areas wey dey around di place.

Egyptian media tok say dem close di crossing afta three Israeli strikes on Rafah on 9 and 10 October, wey dem tok say injure many pipo wey dey on di Egyptian and Palestinian sides of di border.

On 12 October, di Egyptian goment bin ask Israel to stop air strikes near di Rafah border crossing so e fit serve as "support lifeline" for pipo for Gaza, and dem make am clear say dem no go open di passage until di safety of dia staff dey guaranteed.

Three weeks later, pipo gada for di border following reports say Qatar don mediate agreement to allow some pipo out of Gaza.

Western kontris also dey chook mouth and dem dey try to make sure say Rafah na safe passage for both foreign passport holders for Gaza and humanitarian aid.

Reuters news agency say di Gulf state dey hold talks between Egypt, Israel and Hamas, in coordination with di US.

Na dis deal dey allow some critically injured pipo and foreign passport holders out of di Gaza Strip.

Qatar na home to di political leadership of Hamas - wey get office for di capital, Doha, since 2012.

Why dem close di border?

Israel and Egypt don restrict di movement of goods and pipo in and out of Gaza since Hamas take di control of di territory for 2007. Di two kontries say dia blockade dey needed for security reasons.

As part of im response to Hamas deadly attack, Israel defence minister order a "complete siege" of Gaza on 9 October, adding say: "Electricity no go dey, no food, no fuel, everytin dey closed."

Meanwhile Egypt dey fear say Palestinian refugees wey dey run from di war go enat plenti.

Egypt president warn on 12 October say exodus from Gaza dey risk "liquidating" di Palestinian cause and call on Palestinians to "remain steadfast on dia land".

E also dey concerned about di possibility of Islamist militants coming into di kontri, afta dem face a jihadist insurgency for Sinai for almost a decade.

How dem normally dey use di Rafah crossing?

Rafah no dey allow Palestinians to easily comot from Gaza. Palestinians wey dey wish to use di border crossing must register wit di local Palestinian authorities two to four weeks in advance and di Palestinian or Egyptian authorities fit reject am wit little warning or explanation.

According to di UN, for August 2023, di Egyptian authorities don allow 19,608 exits of pipo from Gaza and dem don deny entry to 314 pipo.