Israel Agrees to Reopen Rafah Crossing Under Strict Conditions

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January 26, 2026 | 05:53 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday evening that Israel has agreed to a limited reopening of the Rafah Crossing as part of a 20-point Gaza peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

“As part of President Trump’s 20-point plan, Israel has agreed to a limited reopening of the Rafah Crossing for pedestrian passage only, subject to a full Israeli inspection mechanism. The reopening of the crossing was conditioned upon the return of all living hostages and a 100% effort by Hamas to locate and return all deceased hostages,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement posted on X, as quoted by Anadolu.

Israel also said the crossing would reopen only after the completion of search operations for the remains of Israeli soldier Ran Gvili.

Israel has fully closed the Palestinian side of the Rafah Crossing since May 2024. Israeli military operations in Gaza since October 2023 have killed more than 71,400 people, according to Palestinian health authorities, with women and children accounting for most of the casualties.

In recent months, Israel has repeatedly linked the reopening of Rafah, which connects Gaza with Egypt, to the return of the remaining Israeli hostages or their remains.

The crossing was initially expected to reopen in October under the first phase of a ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, but Israel did not implement the provision.

Although Ali Shaath, head of Gaza’s technocratic administrative committee, said in a televised address that the crossing would reopen next week, Israeli authorities have not confirmed this.

Since the ceasefire began, Palestinian factions have released 20 living Israeli hostages and returned the remains of 27 others. Gvili’s remains have yet to be recovered.

Palestinian health officials reported that Israeli forces have committed hundreds of ceasefire violations, killing at least 484 civilians and wounding 1,321 others since the truce took effect.

Search for Gvili’s Remains

Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said on Sunday that it had informed mediators of the last known location of Gvili’s body. A spokesman said Israeli forces were searching an area based on the information provided.

“The (Israeli) enemy is now conducting searches in one of the locations based on the information we provided,” the spokesman said, adding that the group was handling the hostage issue “with full transparency.”

The Israeli military confirmed it had begun searching for Gvili’s remains over the weekend, citing intelligence suggesting the body may be buried in a Muslim cemetery in eastern Gaza near the neighborhoods of Shejaiya, Daraj, and Tuffah, according to The Times of Israel.

Netanyahu’s office said the operation would continue “as long as necessary.”

The second phase of the ceasefire agreement includes provisions for the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian factions, further Israeli troop withdrawals from Gaza, and large-scale reconstruction efforts, which the United Nations estimates will cost around US$70 billion.

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