Tel Aviv, MINA — The Israeli government has decided not to reopen the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt or allow full humanitarian aid into the enclave, claiming that Hamas has yet to return all the bodies of Israeli prisoners under the current ceasefire agreement.
According to Channel 13, Israel’s political leadership resolved to keep the crossing closed and to significantly limit aid deliveries, following recommendations made by the country’s security establishment.
Similarly, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation Channel 11 reported that security officials urged the government to halt the full entry of aid and prevent the reopening of the crossing until all Israeli bodies are returned.
The Israeli daily Maariv quoted a security official as saying that “the agreement between the resistance and the occupation did not specify the exact number of abducted and killed Israelis to be handed over in the first phase.”
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Hamas reportedly delivered the bodies of four Israelis to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in accordance with the agreement.
However, Haaretz reported that Israeli officials had initially expected the process of returning the bodies to take several weeks, not just four in the first stage. The political leadership has not yet determined whether the delay constitutes a violation or remains within acceptable limits.
Meanwhile, Yedioth Ahronoth cited a political source warning that failure to return the remaining bodies “could lead to the collapse of the agreement.”
ICRC spokesman Christian Cardon described the recovery and identification of bodies as “a tremendous challenge,” citing the large-scale destruction across Gaza that has made the process extremely difficult. “It is possible that some bodies may never be found,” he said.
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The Red Cross confirmed it had received 45 bodies of Palestinian prisoners from Israel, transferred through the Kissufim crossing into Gaza as part of the first phase of the ceasefire and body-exchange deal. The bodies were taken to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis for examination and documentation before being handed over to families.
Israel’s Coordinator for Prisoners and Missing Persons Affairs, Gal Hirsch, said that negotiations with Hamas are ongoing to recover the remaining Israeli bodies.
“We are determined to bring everyone home, both the living and the dead,” he said, noting that the issue was discussed during President Donald Trump’s recent visit to Israel.
As part of the ceasefire agreement announced last week, Hamas and Israel agreed to establish an international committee to identify the burial sites of Israeli prisoners in Gaza. The deal, mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, also includes the gradual exchange of prisoners and bodies between the two sides.[]
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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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