Israel has said the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will remain closed 'until further notice', after the Palestinian embassy in Cairo had indicated it would reopen on Monday. The statement from Benjamin Netanyahu's office said reopening the gateway would depend on Hamas fulfilling its ceasefire role of returning the remains of all 28 dead hostages.
The Israeli military confirmed on Saturday that the Red Cross had received the bodies of two hostages held in Gaza as part of the ceasefire deal, bringing the total number of returned remains to 12. The handover of remains is a key element of the ceasefire process intended to end two years of war.
The Rafah crossing, the only one not controlled by Israel before the conflict, has been shut since May 2024 when Israeli forces took control of the Gaza side. A fully reopened crossing would facilitate movement for Palestinians seeking medical treatment, travel, or family visits to Egypt.
Israel has been returning the bodies of Palestinians identified only by numbers, with Gaza's health ministry posting photographs online in hopes families will come forward. Dozens of anxious relatives have gathered at Nasser hospital, with some identifying loved ones among the returned remains.
As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel returned 15 Palestinian bodies on Saturday, bringing the total to 135. The Palestinian death toll has surpassed 68,000, according to the health ministry, with thousands still missing. The war was sparked by Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.
Donald Trump has warned Hamas that he would support a resumption of war if the group fails to return all hostage remains. Hamas insists it is committed to the ceasefire but says retrieval is hindered by devastation and unexploded ordnance, and that some remains are in areas under Israeli control. The group has also urged mediators to increase humanitarian aid flows into Gaza.
