Vans loaded with humanitarian support on the Egyptian facet of the Rafah crossing wait to cross into the Gaza Strip early on Oct. 15, 2025.
STR/AFP through Getty Pictures
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STR/AFP through Getty Pictures
AMMAN, Jordan — Israel on Wednesday saved closed an important border crossing from Egypt to Gaza and lower in half the quantity of support allowed to enter in retaliation for what it says are delays within the handover of hostage our bodies by the militant group Hamas.
The change of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees and the handover of our bodies was central to the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza agreed final week.
An Israeli safety official, talking on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to talk publicly, instructed NPR that “opposite to stories, the Rafah Crossing didn’t open immediately.”
Israeli media had reported that the Rafah crossing, closed since Israel seized the Gaza facet of the crossing final yr, can be reopened in accordance with the ceasefire settlement.
The ceasefire on Wednesday was largely holding, though Hamas described Israeli assaults in Gaza as violations of the settlement.
Israel pulled again forces final week however nonetheless retains management of greater than 50% of the Gaza Strip. It warned Gazans to not strategy wherever the place its forces are situated, particularly warning of hazard in six places within the north and south of Gaza.
Israel for months has restricted shipments of meals and drugs to the devastated Palestinian territory, whose borders it controls. It had pledged as a part of the ceasefire to permit in 600 truckloads of humanitarian support per day – the minimal quantity support organizations say is required to maintain famine from spreading.
Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the U.N. Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Gaza, mentioned Tuesday that Israel had knowledgeable them they might enable solely 300 support vans per day into Gaza beginning Wednesday and it might proceed to limit gasoline and fuel shipments.
The Israeli navy arm chargeable for the border mentioned restrictions had been being taken as a result of “Hamas violated the settlement relating to the discharge of the our bodies of the hostages,” in keeping with Reuters.
Hamas has now handed over eight our bodies to the worldwide Crimson Cross for switch to Israel. It has mentioned it wants extra time to get well one other 20 our bodies as after two years of intense Israeli airstrikes not all of the burial websites are recognized.
Below the U.S.-brokered ceasefire settlement, if Hamas didn’t hand over the our bodies by Monday it was obligated to share data and “exert most efforts” to hold out the handover as quickly as doable.
On Monday, Hamas handed over the final 20 residing hostages to Israel. In change Israel launched about 1,700 prisoners, together with ladies and youngsters, taken from Gaza and held with out cost. Israel additionally freed 242 Palestinian prisoners serving long-term sentences, sending greater than half of them into exile.
Regardless of an agreed method of Israel handing over 15 our bodies of Palestinians for each Israeli physique it receives, solely the stays of 45 Palestinians have been handed over.
Abu Bakr Bashir contributed reporting from Sheffield, England, and Shir David contributed reporting from Tel Aviv.
