Israel has confirmed that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will remain closed through Wednesday, October 15, 2025, due to Hamas’s failure to return all deceased Israeli hostages as per a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement.
Israeli officials have not specified when the crossing will reopen. On October 14, Hamas communicated its intention to transfer the bodies of four deceased Israeli hostages to Israel but faced pushback as Israeli authorities announced the crossing would stay closed, citing reduced humanitarian aid into Gaza as leverage on Hamas.
Following a brief resolution regarding the hostage body returns, aid trucks began re-entering Gaza on October 15, with around 600 trucks, including essential supplies and fuel, expected to assist the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Despite the ceasefire, which ended two years of devastating conflict and freed surviving hostages, tensions remain high as Hamas has refused to disarm, intensifying internal control measures, including public executions.
Political dynamics continue to evolve, with far-right Israeli leaders opposing aid deliveries while an international task force is tasked with recovering remaining hostages. The Palestinian Authority (PA) has announced its readiness to regain control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, disrupted when the Israeli military seized control in May 2024.
The crossing had a brief reopening earlier in 2025 but has largely remained closed since, complicating aid access. Ongoing negotiations and international efforts aim to address the humanitarian crisis and ensure the safe return of all hostages, amid continuing political tensions and unresolved governance issues in Gaza.
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