Israel-Gaza war: Three reasons Egypt tightly controls the Rafah crossing

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened on Wednesday to allow a number of civilians to leave Gaza for the first time since the war began on 7 October.

The crossing has been open and shut frequently over the years. Why is it so contentious for Egypt? And where does Egypt stand in the Israel-Palestinian conflict?

The BBC’s Amal Saeed in Cairo explains.

Produced and edited by Ellen Tsang

Filmed by Mohamed Kamel