Rafah, on the border of Egypt, is the only way out of Gaza after Israel closed its crossings

The border to Egypt most likely remained closed because of concerns of mass exodus from Gaza by anguished refugees, said H.A. Hellyer, a senior associate fellow specializing in security and geopolitics at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank. Historical precedent shows Palestinian refugees who flee are unlikely to be able to return, he said. “It’s extremely understandable, [which is] why the Egyptians and why a lot of the neighboring states are very reluctant to say, ‘Yeah, sure, we’ll take them in,’” Hellyer said. “Because they know that they’ll never be able to go back.”