Rafah crossing to open as Israel, Hamas navigate ceasefire challenges

Israel has announced plans to allow Palestinians to leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, as part of a US-backed ceasefire agreement, even as partial remains returned by militants did not match the hostages still held in the territory.

The missing remains of two hostages—Israeli Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak—threaten to stall the first phase of the ceasefire, which is designed to conclude with the return of all remaining hostages. Palestinian militants have said they were searching again on December 3 for the remains amid the rubble of Gaza, Associated Press reports.

“The first phase of the plan is supposed to wind down with the return of the two remaining hostages,” observers noted, as Hamas and Israeli officials continue to accuse each other of ceasefire violations.

Gvili, an Israeli police officer who helped civilians escape the Oct. 7 Nova music festival, and Rinthalak, a Thai agricultural worker, are among 31 foreign workers abducted, most of whom have been released in previous ceasefire rounds. Thailand has reported 46 of its citizens killed during the conflict.

COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for coordinating aid in Gaza, said Israel would open Rafah under EU supervision, in coordination with Egypt. Palestinians wishing to leave will require Israeli security approval, though return trips to Gaza will not be allowed.

The ceasefire also includes creating an international stabilization force, forming a technocratic Palestinian government, and disarming Hamas. The World Health Organization reports over 16,500 sick and wounded in Gaza needing evacuation for medical care.

Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that a 46-year-old Palestinian man was killed by Israeli fire in a designated “safe zone.” Since the ceasefire began on October 11, over 360 Palestinians have been killed, bringing the war’s total toll to more than 70,100, according to the ministry.

Exchanges of the dead remain central to the ceasefire, with Israel releasing 15 Palestinian bodies per hostage. Hamas has returned 20 living hostages and the remains of 26 others, though complications such as limited DNA testing have hindered identification.

By Vafa Guliyeva