The Media Line: Israel Keeps Rafah Crossing Closed Until Hamas Meets Hostage Deal Terms 

Israel Keeps Rafah Crossing Closed Until Hamas Meets Hostage Deal Terms  

By The Media Line Staff  

Israel announced Saturday that the Rafah Crossing with Egypt will remain closed until Hamas fulfills its obligations under the Gaza ceasefire-hostage agreement, rejecting a claim by the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo that the crossing would reopen Monday.  

In a statement, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said reopening the crossing would depend on Hamas’s compliance with the deal. “Its reopening will be considered based on the extent to which Hamas fulfills its part in returning the fallen hostages and implementing the agreed-upon framework,” the statement read.  

The dispute came nearly a week after the US-brokered ceasefire took effect, requiring Hamas to release 20 remaining hostages alive and return the bodies of 28 deceased captives within 72 hours of the Israel Defense Forces’ withdrawal to the so-called Yellow Line inside Gaza.  

Hamas has so far returned 10 bodies, claiming it cannot locate others due to widespread destruction in Gaza. Israeli officials dismissed the explanation, accusing the group of withholding the remains as leverage. On Saturday night, Hamas said it was preparing to return two additional bodies.  

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum praised Netanyahu’s decision to keep Rafah closed, saying the government “must take a firm stance against Hamas and demand the return of all 18 deceased hostages without exception.” The group added that Israel should not move forward with the agreement “until all the fallen hostages are returned, in accordance with the Trump framework.”  

When the Rafah Crossing eventually reopens, it will be limited to the movement of Palestinians, not the entry of humanitarian aid. Aid deliveries have instead been routed through Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing, where an average of 560 metric tons of food now enters Gaza daily—well below what the United Nations says is required to meet urgent needs.  

Egypt closed Rafah after Israeli forces captured the Gaza side in May 2024. It reopened briefly during a short ceasefire earlier this year. Despite expanded aid shipments since July, international agencies report continuing shortages of food, medicine, and shelter, while Israel accuses Hamas of stealing supplies and the UN of delays in distribution.