Israel said it would reopen Rafah's Kerem Shalom border crossing between Gaza and Egypt after initially closing it on Feb. 28 over the outbreak of the Iran conflict, AFP reported on March 3. The reopening would be "gradual" and allow humanitarian aid into the strip, following concerns about famine that led to panic buying in Gaza after the closure.

The tenuous Israel-Hamas ceasefire, which went into effect in October 2025, has been strained by numerous clashes since then, but Hamas has shown little willingness to resume attacks despite the strikes on Iran and the death of its long-time ally, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an Israeli operation. Hamas has been focused on governing its half of Gaza, collecting taxes and rebuilding its damaged military forces after two years of open war with Israel, while its rocket and missile arsenal remains exhausted, giving it little ability to impact Israel militarily.