Israel says it has agreed to reopen the Gaza Strip’s key border crossing with Egypt only after an operation to retrieve the body of the last remaining Israeli hostage in the territory is complete.
The Rafah crossing has been mostly closed since May 2024, when the Palestinian side was seized by Israeli forces. It was meant to have reopened during the first stage of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which began in October.
However, the Israeli government has made that conditional on Hamas making every effort to return the body of the last hostage, police officer Master Sgt Ran Gvili.
On Sunday, Israel’s military said it had begun a new search for his remains in northern Gaza.
Israeli media quoted military officials as saying the operation was taking place at a cemetery in Gaza City and that it could last several days.
It comes as US and other mediators continue to press both sides to take the next steps to advance President Donald Trump’s peace plan.
