Israel won’t reopen the Rafah crossing until the last hostage’s body has been recovered
Israel claims that only after an effort to collect the last hostage’s body will the Rafah border in Gaza be reopened.
Moving through Gaza’s only entry point to the outside world has been further delayed by Israel’s announcement that it will only restore the Rafah border crossing with Egypt after concluding an operation to recover the body of the final Israeli hostage thought to be in the territory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated in a statement late Sunday that the crossing will only be accessible to the public once Israeli soldiers had finished a “targeted operation” to find the body of police officer Ran Gvili. “The bodies of deceased captives held by Palestinian militant groups have already been returned, as have all other living hostages,” the statement claimed.
As part of a larger U.S.-backed plan by President Donald Trump to end the war, the Rafah border was supposed to reopen sooner under the first phase of a ceasefire struck between Israel and Hamas in October. Israel later required the return of all captives and what it called a “100% effort” by Hamas to account for those who had perished in captivity before reopening the area.
The Israeli military claims that based on “several intelligence leads” about the potential location of Gvili’s remains, forces have initiated a targeted operation in northern Gaza. The Rafah crossing will be reopened after the operation is over, according to Netanyahu’s office, which also stated that the military is using every piece of intelligence at its disposal to recover the body.
According to a statement released by Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli military “is currently conducting a focused operation to exhaust all of the intelligence that has been gathered in the effort to locate and return the fallen hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, of blessed memory.”
Since 2024, the Israeli military has controlled the crossing on the Gaza side, which is essentially the sole way for the majority of the territory’s more than two million inhabitants to enter or exit. Its protracted shutdown has significantly restricted civilian mobility and humanitarian access.
The head of a transitional Palestinian committee established by the United States to temporarily govern Gaza, Ali Shaath, stated on Thursday that the Rafah crossing is anticipated to open this week. After Israel’s most recent pronouncement, that timescale now seems questionable.
Related News: Gaza militants deliver the body of hostage Meny Godard to Israel
Israel Increases Military Activity and Issues Orders Rafah, Gaza’s Last Refuge, has seen more evacuations.
Israel-Hamas Conflict: Capture of Thousands of Palestinians As Egypt and Rafah Cross the Border…
The restricted reopening will take place under strict guidelines, according to Netanyahu’s office. It stated, “Israel has agreed to a limited reopening of the Rafah Crossing for pedestrian passage only, subject to a full Israeli inspection mechanism, as part of President Trump’s 20-point plan.”
Earlier this month, Washington declared that the plan had moved into its second phase, which calls for Israel to remove more troops from Gaza and Hamas to cede authority of the territory’s governance.
With the intention of allowing more individuals to leave the enclave than return, Israel is attempting to limit the number of Palestinians entering Gaza through the Egypt border, according to sources who spoke to Reuters last week. This action is expected to exacerbate worries about access and displacement for the Gaza population.
