Israel has announced that it will reopen the Rafah border crossing with Egypt for the movement of people only after completing an operation to recover the body of the last remaining Israeli hostage in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed late yesterday.
The crossing had initially been scheduled to open during the early phase of US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan, which aimed to bring a halt to hostilities between Israel and Hamas in October.
However, Israel has made the reopening conditional on two critical requirements: the return of all living hostages held by Palestinian militant factions in Gaza, and a full effort by Hamas to locate and return the remains of deceased hostages. To date, all bodies have been returned except for police officer Ran Gvili.
The Israeli military reported yesterday that it had launched a targeted operation in northern Gaza to retrieve Gvili’s remains. Officials noted that there were multiple intelligence leads regarding his potential location.
Netanyahu’s office stated: “The Israeli military is currently conducting a focused operation to exhaust all intelligence gathered in the effort to locate and return the fallen hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, of blessed memory. Once this operation is complete, Israel will open the Rafah Crossing.”
On the Gaza side, the crossing has been under Israeli military control since 2024. Ali Shaath, head of a transitional Palestinian committee supported by the US to temporarily administer Gaza, said on Thursday that the Rafah Crossing could open later this week. It remains the main lifeline for the over two million residents of Gaza, who rely on it for essential movement in and out of the territory.
Israel emphasized that the reopening would initially allow pedestrian passage only, subject to full Israeli inspection measures, as part of President Trump’s 20-point plan. Washington recently announced that the plan had moved into its second phase, which anticipates further Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas yielding greater administrative control over the territory.
Meanwhile, reports indicate Israel may regulate the number of Palestinians entering Gaza from Egypt to ensure that more are able to leave than enter.
