Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Saturday that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will remain closed until further notice. He said its reopening is contingent on the return of the bodies of Israeli hostages currently held by Hamas.
The announcement came shortly after the Palestinian mission in Egypt said the crossing would reopen on Monday to allow entry into Gaza. The Rafah crossing has been a critical point for the movement of people and humanitarian aid and has remained largely closed since May 2024.
In a statement released later the same day, Hamas said that Israel’s decision to keep the crossing closed violates the current ceasefire agreement and contradicts commitments made to international mediators. The group added that the continued closure hinders the search for bodies of deceased hostages, which it says remain under rubble in areas affected by recent military operations.
According to Israeli authorities, two more bodies of hostages were recovered on Saturday, bringing the total to 12 out of 28 as part of a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal facilitated by the United States.
The agreement involved the release of all 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and the return of the remains of 360 Palestinian militants. So far, Israel has handed over 15 bodies of Palestinian fighters in return for each Israeli hostage body received.
Israeli officials have expressed concern over the pace of the returns, while Hamas has stated that the recovery process is being slowed by extensive destruction in Gaza.
The ceasefire agreement also includes provisions for increased humanitarian aid into Gaza, where famine conditions were reported by global food security monitors in August. Following a complete halt in supplies for 11 weeks earlier in the year, Israel resumed and later expanded aid deliveries in July.
Since the ceasefire began, an average of 560 metric tons of food has reportedly entered Gaza daily.
Several elements of a broader peace initiative remain unresolved. These include the future disarmament of Hamas, the governance structure of Gaza, the formation of an international stabilisation force, and discussions on a pathway toward the establishment of a Palestinian state.
