Hamas says Rafah crossing closure delaying return of Israeli hostage bodies
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Jerusalem: Hamas has accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire deal by keeping the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip closed, saying the move is delaying recovery operations and the handover of the bodies of Israeli hostages.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Hamas said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to keep the crossing shut “constitutes a blatant breach of the ceasefire agreement and a repudiation of the commitments he made before mediators and guarantor parties.”
The group’s remarks came as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it had received the body of the tenth deceased Israeli hostage held in Gaza, in addition to the remaining 20 living hostages. Later on Saturday evening, the IDF said it had received the bodies of two more hostages, according to Xinhua news agency.
A ceasefire, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States, took effect on October 10. The first phase includes the exchange of prisoners and detainees, the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Earlier on Saturday, the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo announced that the Rafah crossing would reopen on Monday to allow Palestinians living in Egypt to return to Gaza. Palestinian sources told Xinhua that the reopening would be in both directions, and that Israel was expected to allow around 50 wounded Palestinians and their companions to leave the enclave daily under the first phase of the ceasefire.
However, Netanyahu’s office later stated that the crossing would remain closed until further notice, adding that its reopening would depend on Hamas’s compliance with the agreed framework for the return of deceased hostages.
According to Gaza’s health authorities, Israel’s military campaign has killed 68,116 Palestinians and injured 170,200 others since October 7, 2023. Despite the ceasefire, 27 people have been killed and 143 injured in Gaza since October 11, the authorities said on Saturday.