Israel is expected to reopen Gaza's Rafah crossing overnight NZT for humanitarian aid from Egypt. Photo / Ahmad Gharabli, AFP
Israel is expected to reopen Gaza's Rafah crossing overnight NZT for humanitarian aid from Egypt. Photo / Ahmad Gharabli, AFP
Israel will allow Gaza’s Rafah crossing to reopen overnight NZT for humanitarian aid to enter from Egypt into the Palestinian territory, Israeli public broadcaster KAN said.
“Six hundred trucks of humanitarian aid will be dispatched (Wednesday) to the Gaza Strip by the UN, approved international organisations, the private sectorand donor countries,” KAN said on its website without citing sources.
The UN and aid organisations have urged the reopening of the major crossing as Gaza faces a devastating humanitarian crisis after two years of war in the territory, sparked by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack.
Six hundred trucks of aid reportedly will be sent by the UN, international organisations, and donor countries. Photo / Getty Images
At the end of August, the UN declared famine in Gaza, though Israel rejected the claim.
The Israeli public broadcaster said the reopening of the southern Rafah crossing, decided by the “political echelon”, follows Hamas handing over the remains of four more hostages l today under a ceasefire deal that took effect last week.
Under the agreement brokered by United States President Donald Trump, Hamas was due to hand over all hostages, both living and dead, within 72 hours of the truce coming into effect.
While the Palestinian militants did release all 20 of the living hostages it held on time, by tonight it had handed over to Israel the remains of only eight of the 28 dead hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Photo / Getty Images
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir today threatened to cut off aid supplies to Gaza if Hamas failed to return the remains of soldiers still held in the territory.
According to KAN, the decision to reopen Rafah to allow aid to pass through was also taken after Israel was informed of Hamas’ intention to return four more bodies overnight, a move not yet confirmed by the militant group.
Three of the four bodies of Israeli hostages in Gaza returned by Hamas today have been identified, their families said following forensic confirmation of their identities.
“It is with immense sadness and pain that we announce the return of the body of our beloved Ouriel Baruch from the Gaza Strip, after two long years of prayer, hope, and faith,” said the family of the Jerusalem resident who was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, at the Nova festival at the age of 35.
The relatives of Tamir Nimrodi and Eitan Levy also announced their return to Israel. Eitan Levy, a 53-year-old taxi driver, was killed after dropping off a friend at Kibbutz Beeri on the morning of the Hamas attack. Tamir Nimrodi, an 18-year-old soldier, was captured at a military base on the Gaza border.