Israel Plans Conditional Reopening of Rafah Crossing After Gaza Operation
Israel to Reopen Rafah Crossing After Hostage Recovery Operation
Israel has announced that it will reopen
the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt after completing an operation aimed at recovering
the body of the last remaining Israeli hostage in Gaza.
The Rafah crossing, a key entry and exit point for Gaza, has been largely shut since May 2024,
when Israeli forces took control of the Palestinian side.
Although the crossing was expected to reopen
during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that began in October,
Israel made the move conditional on the recovery of the hostage’s remains.
According to Israeli officials, the reopening depends on the return of the body of Master
Sergeant Ran Gvili, an Israeli police officer killed during the 7 October 2023 attack.
On Sunday, the Israeli military confirmed it had launched a new search operation in northern Gaza to locate his remains.
While Israel has indicated that the crossing will reopen once the operation concludes,
no clear timeline has been given.
Israeli media reported that the search is focused on a cemetery in Gaza City and could take several days to complete.
Meanwhile, the head of Gaza’s newly formed technocratic Palestinian government stated-
earlier this week that the Rafah crossing would reopen in both directions.
This comes as the United States and other international mediators continue efforts-
to push forward the next phase of a broader peace initiative.
Later on Sunday, the Israeli prime minister’s office said Israel had agreed to a limited reopening of the Rafah crossing for pedestrian movement only, under a strict Israeli inspection system.
Officials added that a full monitoring mechanism would oversee entry and exit lists,
along with an additional screening point for people entering –
Gaza near the so-called Yellow Line, an area still under Israeli control as part of the ceasefire arrangement.
The Israeli military said its operation near the Yellow Line was based on long-term intelligence suggesting that Gvili’s remains may be located in the Shejaiya and Daraj Tuffah neighborhoods of Gaza City.
Specialized teams, including search units and forensic experts equipped with mobile X-ray
machines, were deployed to the area.
Hamas’s armed wing stated that it had already shared all available information with mediators regarding the possible location of Gvili’s body-
and confirmed that Israeli forces were searching one of the identified sites.
Gvili’s family has strongly opposed reopening the Rafah crossing before his remains are returned—
to Israel for burial, stressing that bringing him home must come first.
Earlier this month, Israel had said the crossing would soon reopen to allow Palestinians to leave Gaza. However, disagreements with Egypt
emerged, as Cairo insisted that the crossing should operate in both directions,
including allowing the return of Palestinians who fled during the conflict.
The developments take place amid continued diplomatic efforts surrounding the Gaza ceasefire. Under the first phase of the agreement, Israel and Hamas committed to a truce, an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees,
a partial Israeli withdrawal, and increased humanitarian aid deliveries.
A second phase is expected to involve a new Palestinian technocratic administration-
managing Gaza’s public services, along with large-scale
reconstruction and full demilitarization of the territory.
The current war began after the 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, during which around ,
1200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has resulted in more than 71,000 deaths, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
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