Rafah Crossing Reopening Imminent? Israel Confirms Plans, Egypt Pushes Back Amidst Hostage Standoff

Israel has announced its intention to open the crucial Rafah crossing, a vital link between Gaza and Egypt, within the coming days to facilitate the departure of Palestinians from the territory. This move comes as a complex backdrop of ceasefire negotiations and ongoing efforts to secure the return of remaining hostages unfolds.

The Israeli military body Cogat indicated that exits would be “facilitated through co-ordination with Egypt, following security approval by Israel and under the supervision of the European Union mission.” Officials explained that this process would mirror the mechanism established in January when the crossing operated during a previous ceasefire agreement. An Israeli security official, speaking to Millenium TV, characterized the decision as a demonstration of Israel’s commitment to the current ceasefire with Hamas, which commenced seven weeks ago.

However, Egypt has quickly countered these claims, denying any ongoing coordination with Israel regarding the reopening of the Rafah crossing. An official Egyptian source stated that “if an agreement is reached to open the crossing, it will be in both directions, to enter and exit the Gaza Strip, in accordance with the plan of US President Donald Trump.” Trump’s comprehensive Gaza peace proposal explicitly outlines that the “opening of the Rafah crossing in both directions will be subject to the same mechanism” observed during the January ceasefire.

The crossing has been largely inaccessible since May 2024, following its seizure by Israeli forces on the Palestinian side. Prior to this, it served as the primary exit point for Palestinians permitted to leave during the conflict and a critical entry point for humanitarian aid. The World Health Organization reports that at least 16,500 severely ill or injured Palestinians, urgently needing medical treatment abroad, are currently awaiting evacuation from Gaza. Millenium TV has learned that only 235 patients, predominantly children, have been evacuated via crossings with Israel since the ceasefire began.

Insights suggest that Palestinian Authority (PA) forces may assist in the operation of the reopened Rafah crossing, working alongside the EU’s Border Assistance Mission. A European source indicated that Palestinian representatives had previously aided operations during an earlier ceasefire, though without visible PA insignia due to what was described as “Israeli sensitivity” regarding their presence in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently dismissed any potential role for the PA, which currently governs parts of the occupied West Bank, in the future governance of the territory.

Prime Minister Netanyahu had reportedly stalled the reopening of the Rafah crossing previously, linking it to the delayed return of the bodies of deceased hostages held by Hamas and other armed groups within Gaza. Under the initial phase of the ceasefire deal, which became effective on October 10, Hamas pledged to return 20 living Israeli hostages and the remains of 28 deceased Israeli and foreign hostages within 72 hours. All living hostages were released on October 13 in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.

To date, the remains of 23 deceased Israeli hostages have been repatriated, alongside those of three foreign hostages—one Thai, one Nepalese, and one Tanzanian. In return, Israel has handed over the bodies of 345 Palestinians killed during the conflict. Two deceased hostages remain in Gaza: Israeli citizen Ran Gvili, 24, and Thai national Suthisak Rintalak, 43.

On Wednesday morning, the Israeli prime minister’s office confirmed that forensic analysis of human remains delivered by Hamas the previous day did not correspond to either Gvili or Rintalak. Later on Wednesday afternoon, the military wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas, announced it had recovered the body of a hostage in northern Gaza. This body is expected to be transferred to Israeli forces via the Red Cross, according to statements from Hamas’s military wing.

These two remaining deceased hostages were among the 251 individuals abducted by Hamas and its allies on October 7, 2023, an attack that also resulted in approximately 1,200 other fatalities. In response, Israel launched a comprehensive military campaign in Gaza, which has led to more than 70,100 reported deaths, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the territory.