Israel on Sunday announced the reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing after completing an operation to recover the body of the last Israeli hostage, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
The crossing, which was expected to reopen under the initial phase of a U.S.-backed ceasefire plan, has remained closed as Israeli forces search for the remains of police officer Ran Gvili. The 24-year-old policeman was killed on October 7, 2023 during the Hamas-led attack on Israel.
Under the ceasefire agreement reached in October last year between Israel and Hamas, the Rafah Crossing was due to reopen earlier. However, Israel later set conditions, demanding the return of all living hostages and what it described as a “100% effort” by Hamas to locate and return the bodies of those who had died.
All hostages have now been accounted for except Gvili.
According to Reuters, the Israeli military confirmed it had launched what it described as a “targeted operation” in northern Gaza to retrieve his remains. An Israeli military official said there were “several intelligence leads” pointing to his possible location.
“The Israeli military is currently conducting a focused operation to exhaust all of the intelligence that has been gathered in the effort to locate and return the fallen hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, of blessed memory,” Netanyahu’s office said.
It added that once the operation ends, “Israel will open the Rafah Crossing,” reported Reuters.
Meanwhile, Gvili’s family has urged the Israeli government not to proceed to the second phase of the ceasefire until his remains are returned.
According to a Guardian report, Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of delaying efforts to recover Gvili’s body. However, Hamas rejected the claim on Sunday, saying it had shared all the information it had and accusing Israel of blocking search efforts in areas under Israeli military control.
The Guardian mentioned that according to an Israeli military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Gvili may have been buried in the Shuja’iya–Daraj Tuffah area. The official said rabbis and dental experts were accompanying specialized search teams to look for the body.
Rafah’s Importance
The Rafah Crossing is Gaza’s main gateway to the outside world. The crossing is effectively Gaza’s only route in or out for most of the territory’s more than two million residents. It is a key channel for humanitarian supplies, including food, medicine and fuel. It also serves as the only exit for Palestinians seeking urgent medical treatment.
The Gaza side of the Rafah Crossing has been under Israeli military control since May 2024. The crossing was shut down for travellers and aid after Israeli forces announced they had taken control of the Palestinian side during their operation in Rafah city.
“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,” Netanyahu’s office said.
Until the operation to recover Gvili’s remains is completed, Israeli officials say the crossing will remain closed.
Meanwhile, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, around 70,100 Palestinians have lost their lives due to Israel’s mass military operations since October 2023. More than 350 of those deaths have occurred since the October 10, 2025 ceasefire, the ministry said.
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