Israel reopens Rafah crossing after Hamas handovers four more bodies

Israel has reportedly cancelled sanctions planned for today against Gaza, which would have included restrictions on humanitarian aid and the closure of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. The decision has arrived after Hamas returned yesterday evening those who he claims to be the bodies of four more deceased hostages.

According to diplomatic sources cited by the Times of Israel, Hamas said it would hand over four more bodies later today. The return of the bodies follows the previous deliveries, initially limited to four of the 28 dead hostages held in the Strip by Palestinian terrorists.

Aid reduction notified to the UN

Despite the return of the bodies, the Israeli authorities, who yesterday had threatened the total closure of the Rafah crossing until all the hostages' bodies were handed over, They notified the United Nations of a reduction in the number of aid trucks authorized to enter Gaza or a delay in entry due to the limited number of bodies returned by Hamas. UN spokeswoman Olga Cherevko made the announcement. Israel had initially planned to reduce the number of aid trucks to 300, half the planned number, and not allow the entry of fuel or gas.

The Palestinian Authority has said it is ready to resume operations at the Rafah crossing, the main transit point for aid between Egypt and Gaza. This was announced by Mohammad Shtayyeh, special envoy of President Mahmoud Abbas, who stressed the willingness to coordinate operations with all parties involved.

Some bodies identified

Two of the four new bodies handed over have been identified as those of soldier Tamir Nimrodi, abducted on October 7, 2023 at the base of the Erez crossing, and Uriel Baruch, abducted at the Nova festival. The third body belongs to Eitan Levy, a taxi driver from Bat Yam, was considered missing until his death was confirmed.

The IDF have It was clarified that one of the four bodies returned does not belong to a hostage, but to a Palestinian from the Gaza Strip. Israeli sources quoted by the Jerusalem Post indicate that yes It would have been a mistake on the part of Hamas.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli authorities have reiterated their commitment to securing the return of all the bodies of the deceased hostages. The Forum of the Families of the Hostages added that Tamir Nimrodi was reportedly killed during an Israeli raid while he was being held captive, contradicting initial reports of his death attributed to Hamas.