Israel has decided against reopening the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on Wednesday, defying a key clause of the ceasefire agreement. The move comes as a punitive measure against Hamas, which Israeli officials accuse of breaching its pledge to return the remains of hostages who died in captivity.
In addition, Israel will curtail humanitarian aid entering Gaza as part of the sanctions imposed on the militant group, according to the Times of Israel. Israeli defence officials concluded that Hamas had made “no substantial efforts” to hand over the remaining bodies of deceased hostages.
Only Four of 28 Hostage Bodies Returned
The Associated Press (AP) reported that Hamas handed over 20 living hostages and the bodies of four others on Monday, leaving 24 bodies still in Gaza. Families of hostages expressed outrage at what they termed a betrayal of the ceasefire terms.
The Hostages Family Forum, a collective representing the relatives of those held captive, denounced Hamas’ delay as a “blatant violation of the agreement.”
Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for hostage affairs, informed families in a note that international mediators were being urged to pressure Hamas into expediting the return process, as per AP’s report.
Israeli authorities on Tuesday identified two of the returned hostages as Guy Illouz, an Israeli, and Bipin Joshi, a student from Nepal—both in their 20s and abducted during the October 7, 2023 attacks. Illouz was reportedly fatally wounded while in captivity without medical care, whereas Joshi was murdered in the early months of the war.
Under the ceasefire plan introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump, all hostages—both living and deceased—were to be returned within 72 hours of the deal’s acceptance. However, the agreement also allowed flexibility if delays occurred, requiring Hamas to share information on any remaining bodies.
Both Hamas and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) cited Gaza’s widespread destruction as a major obstacle in retrieving the hostages’ remains.
Freed Hostages Begin Long Recovery
AP reported that those released from Gaza remain under medical supervision in Israel. Some families said it would take weeks before their relatives could return home.
Dalia Cusnir-Horn, whose brother-in-law Eitan Horn was freed on Monday, said he had lost over 40% of his body weight after months of minimal food and water.
“He has a very, very long way to go,” she said. “He’s just learning now … friends he knew that were murdered and he had no clue how many people were kidnapped on that day and what this country went through, and it’s overwhelming and it’s hard,” she added, as quoted by the report.
Moshe Levi, another relative of a freed hostage, said his brother-in-law Omri Miran was elated to finally spend time with his daughters—one of whom was less than a year old when he was taken.
“He could feel like he’s a father again, and they could feel like they have a father figure in the household. It’s still surreal for them,” Levi said.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank and Gaza, several recently released Palestinian prisoners were taken to hospitals for medical evaluation. At the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah, 14 men were treated—two remained hospitalised due to injuries allegedly caused by beatings in custody.
Imed al-Shami, a resident doctor, told AP that their conditions reflected “the extent of the violence they endured.” One former prisoner, Kamal Abu Shanab, claimed his shoulder was torn during repeated beatings.
“For eight months, I wasn’t given even a pill for the pain,” he said.
Israel’s Prison Service denied the allegations, insisting that all inmates were detained “according to legal procedures,” with full access to medical care and humane living conditions.
Gaza Faces Enormous Rebuilding Challenge
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 45 bodies of Palestinians were transferred by the ICRC to Nasser Hospital’s morgue on Tuesday, marking the first of an expected 450 to be handed over.
As the ceasefire holds, questions loom over Gaza’s governance and reconstruction. Addressing a summit in Egypt, President Donald Trump called the truce “the end of the war in Gaza — and the start of rebuilding the devastated territory.”
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced that 15 Palestinian technocrats had been chosen to administer Gaza with the consent of Israel, Hamas, and other Palestinian factions.
Displaced resident Mohamad Abu Hajras from Khan Younis told AP he hoped authorities would “move quickly to restore some semblance of normality.”
“There is no infrastructure, electricity, water, or anything that is fit for life,” Hajras said.
A UN Development Programme representative, Jaco Cilliers, estimated that rebuilding Gaza could cost $70 billion, with $20 billion needed in the next three years alone.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that more than 67,600 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began, stating that women and children account for about half of the casualties. Independent analysts regard these figures as the most credible current estimates of the war’s human toll.
