Israel announced its intention to open the Rafah crossing to facilitate the departure of Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt, with no plans to allow their return. The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories in Israel stated that the exits would be managed with Egypt’s coordination, under Israeli security approval, and supervised by the European Union. This approach is similar to the one implemented during a previous ceasefire in January. The Rafah crossing will be operational only for one-way exits, overseen partly by the European Union, collaborating with Egypt and Israel.
Contrary to Israel’s statement, Egypt denied its involvement in coordinating with Israel to reopen the Rafah crossing, claiming that the ceasefire agreement mandated the opening for both exits and entries. Tens of thousands of Gaza refugees currently reside in Egypt, awaiting potential developments. While an agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas, later repercussions led Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce the continued closure of the Rafah crossing until further notice. The reopening of the crossing hinges on the return of the last two missing hostages in Gaza, according to Israel spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian.
Acknowledging the rising tension, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Hamas ally, disclosed the discovery of another hostage’s body in northern Gaza. Hamas verified the information and agreed to send the body to Israel through the Red Cross. An Egyptian official source mentioned a potential agreement to open the crossing for two-way traffic, aligning with President Donald Trump’s proposal. The Rafah crossing was closed in May 2024 after Israel’s invasion of the region, and subsequent border negotiations between Israel and Egypt have stalled, leaving vulnerable individuals in Gaza without access to essential medical treatment.
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