Palestinians have been gathering in the hopes of fleeing before an anticipated Israeli ground invasion in the southern Gaza Strip, at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Without providing timetables, US media had stated that it will be open for dual nationals to leave and for humanitarian aid to arrive.
On Monday morning, though, the crossing point was still closed.
What is the Rafah crossing?
It borders the Sinai Desert in Egypt and is the southernmost point of egress from Gaza.
There are only two additional border crossings into and out of the Gaza Strip: Kerem Shalom, which connects Israel and Gaza only for commerce, and Erez, which is a border crossing with Israel in north Gaza. Both are closed.
Why is it important now?
On October 7, Hamas forces attacked the Erez border in northern Gaza, destroying it seriously. Days later, Israel announced Erez closed indefinitely, making the Rafah crossing the only way for civilians to enter and leave Gaza.
Currently, Rafah serves as the point of entry for all humanitarian aid. Numerous trucks carrying fuel and humanitarian supplies are parked close to the Rafah crossing, waiting to be allowed through, according to a statement made last week by the Egyptian foreign ministry.
What is going on at the crossing?
The situation at the Rafah border crossing has been the subject of conflicting reports ever since Hamas began attacking Israel on October 7th. Who can pass through is under the control of Hamas and Egypt, however, Israel can stop people from passing through by bombing the vicinity of the crossing.
After three Israeli airstrikes on Rafah on October 9 and 10, according to Egyptian media, which it claimed resulted in injuries on both the Egyptian and Palestinian sides of the border, the crossing was closed.
In order to act as a "support lifeline" for residents of Gaza, the Egyptian government asked Israel to halt airstrikes near the Rafah border crossing on October 12. It also made it plain that it wouldn't allow the passage until there were guarantees for the safety of the residents of Gaza.
Western nations are also participating in the effort to make Rafah a safe crossing for both humanitarian aid and foreign passport holders in Gaza.
The UK's foreign secretary James Cleverly and his US counterpart Antony Blinken both said they were working with Israel, Egypt and "other leading political voices in the region" to open the crossing.
Last week, a US State Department spokesperson said that its citizens were being told to move towards Rafah because "there may be very little notice if the crossing opens and it may only open for a limited time".
Residents of Gaza have traveled to the border amid rumors that the crossing may reopen in an effort to cross.
Crowds gathered on Monday after reports that Rafah may reopen temporarily as a result of a cease-fire agreement, but Israel and Hamas promptly refuted this.
Why is the border staying shut?
Israel wants to stop Hamas fighters from leaving Gaza and wants to check every truck coming into Gaza to make sure it isn't transporting any weapons.
Egypt's government is worried about a possible Palestinian exodus to Sinai and is unlikely to want to open the border to all Gaza residents who want to leave, even though it appears to be working cooperatively with other nations to negotiate the reopening of the border for foreign passport holders and humanitarian aid.
Additionally, it is apprehensive about the potential entry of militants.
Palestinians cannot readily leave Gaza via Rafah. Palestinians who want to utilise the border crossing must register two to four weeks in advance with the local Palestinian administration. They may be turned away by either the Palestinian or Egyptian authorities without much notice or justification.
The UN reported that in August 2023, Egyptian authorities permitted 19,608 people to leave Gaza but forbade 314 others from entering.