Israel will reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt for the passage of people only after completing a military operation to locate and recover the body of the last remaining Israeli hostage in the enclave, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Sunday.
The reopening was initially expected during the first phase of a US-backed ceasefire plan, but Israel made it conditional on the return of all living hostages and full efforts by Hamas to locate the bodies of deceased captives. All hostages have been accounted for except police officer Master Sgt. Ran Gvili.
The Israeli military confirmed it has launched a targeted operation in northern Gaza based on intelligence leads to retrieve Gvili’s remains. Netanyahu’s office said the Rafah crossing would reopen once the operation concludes. The crossing, Gaza’s main gateway for civilians, has been under Israeli military control since 2024.
