Is it possible to overload operators in PHP?

Yes. For example, there is __radd__. Also, there are none for __le__(), __ge__(), etc., but as Joel Cornett rightly observes, if you define only __lt__, a > b calls the __lt__ function of b, which provides a workaround.

>>> class My_Num(object):
...     def __init__(self, val):
...         self.val = val
...     def __radd__(self, other_num):
...         if isinstance(other_num, My_Num):
...             return self.val + other_num.val
...         else:
...             return self.val + other_num
... 
>>> n1 = My_Num(1)
>>> n2 = 3
>>> 
>>> print n2 + n1
4
>>> print n1 + n2
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
TypeError: unsupported operand type(s) for +: 'My_Num' and 'int'

Note that in at least some cases it's reasonable to do something like this:

>>> class My_Num(object):
...     def __init__(self, val):
...         self.val = val
...     def __add__(self, other_num):
...         if isinstance(other_num, My_Num):
...             return self.val + other_num.val
...         else:
...             return self.val + other_num
...     __radd__ = __add__

In "C" language, operators have different meaning when they are used as prefix to expression, suffix to expression or "infix" (between two expressions).

Consider '*', which performs multiplication as 'infix' operator, and pointer indirection when used as a prefix. Similarily, the '-' operator, which performs subtraction as 'infix' operator, and negation when used as a prefix.

Basically, it's not about overriding, it if the operator appears between two expressions, or as a prefix to a single expression.

In the same way, The "C" compiler knows if the '&' is bit-wise and, or address-of, based on it's position is the expression: If it is between two expressions, it's the AND, if it is before an expression, it is 'address-of'.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infix_notation about infix.