Rafah

American

[rahf-ah, rahf-uh] / ˈrɑf ɑ, ˈrɑf ə /

noun

a city split between Egypt and the Gaza Strip and serving as the only crossing point between them.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The bus stopped at a checkpoint and the returnees crossed through a barbed-wire-lined passageway to the Gaza side of the Rafah terminal.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

Shortly after midnight Wednesday, those meant to enter Tuesday entered Gaza through Rafah in a big bus, an AFP journalist reported.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

Hala, a 40-year-old teacher's assistant, left Gaza a few weeks before the Rafah crossing shut.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

Ghassan al-Dheini, head of the militia, was quoted in Israeli media on Monday as saying his unit would play "an important security role regarding entry and exit through the Rafah crossing".

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control.

From The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023