October 16, 2025 | 02:25 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Aid trucks began entering Gaza on Wednesday as Israel proceeded with preparations to reopen the main Rafah crossing. The fragile ceasefire agreement, however, remains threatened by an ongoing dispute over the return of hostages and the bodies of deceased prisoners, as reported by CNA.
An Israeli security official confirmed Wednesday that preparations were underway to open Rafah for Gaza residents, with another official stating that 600 aid trucks would be deployed. The Israeli public broadcaster KAN stated on its official website, "Six hundred trucks of humanitarian aid will be dispatched (Wednesday) to the Gaza Strip by the UN, approved international organizations, the private sector and donor countries," as quoted by Al Arabiya.
This move comes amid intense pressure from the UN and international aid agencies to reopen the main border crossing. Gaza is facing a severe humanitarian crisis after two years of Israeli genocide.
Dispute Over Hostages' Bodies
The dispute over the return of bodies has the potential to derail the ceasefire. Israel had previously threatened to close Rafah and reduce the promised aid supply, citing Hamas' slow return of the bodies.
Prior to the ceasefire agreement, Hamas had argued that it needed time to gather the bodies and prisoners due to the dire conditions in Gaza following Israel's extensive bombing campaign. However, Hamas returned more Israeli corpses overnight.
Hamas returned four bodies confirmed as hostages and deceased prisoners on Monday, and another four on Tuesday night, though Israeli authorities stated that one of the bodies was not one of their citizens.
Israel Cancels Sanctions on Hamas
As reported by TRT World, Israel canceled initial plans to reduce the number of aid trucks entering Gaza. This plan was initially devised as a pressure tactic because Hamas had difficulty locating all the hostages.
Despite the reversal, right-wing National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir threatened on Tuesday to halt all aid to Gaza if Hamas fails to return the remaining bodies of Israeli soldiers.
Aid distribution remains slow. International Red Cross (ICRC) spokesperson Christian Cardon noted on Tuesday in Geneva, "We are still witnessing only a few trucks coming in, and large crowds approaching these trucks in a way that does absolutely not conform to humanitarian standards."
As reported by KAN, aid passing through Rafah must be unloaded on the Palestinian side, then collected by the UN and aid agencies already in the territory. UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires emphasized the urgency: "We need all crossings open. The longer Rafah stays closed the more the suffering prolongs for people in Gaza, especially those displaced in the South."
According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), 137 aid trucks had entered Gaza since the end of last week. The agency is striving to expedite distribution to Gaza City, where approximately 400,000 residents have not received aid for several weeks.
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