Israel Opens Rafah Border Under Ceasefire Agreement Despite Challenges With Hostage Remains

US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on October 10.

Israel announced Wednesday it will reopen the Rafah border crossing, allowing Palestinians to leave Gaza, adhering to the US-backed ceasefire agreement despite complications with returned hostage remains.

The Israeli government revealed that partial remains returned by Hamas did not match the two hostages still in Gaza, threatening the initial phase of the ceasefire plan. Nevertheless, Israel's decision to open Rafah indicates commitment to proceeding with certain aspects of the agreement.

The ceasefire's first phase should conclude with the return of the final two hostages. Hamas, facing difficulties locating remains amid Gaza's destruction, stated it was conducting additional searches on Wednesday.

Following these exchanges, the comprehensive 20-point plan envisions establishing an international stabilization force, forming a technocratic Palestinian government, and disarming Hamas.

According to the World Health Organization, over 16,500 sick and wounded individuals require medical evacuation from Gaza.

The two remaining hostage bodies belong to Israeli Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak. The Prime Minister's Office confirmed Wednesday that forensic testing showed Tuesday's returned remains matched neither individual.

Saraya al-Quds, Palestinian Islamic Jihad's military wing, announced its members were moving to northern Gaza Wednesday morning to search for the remains, accompanied by Red Cross workers.

Gvili served as an Israeli police officer who helped people escape the Nova music festival during the October 7, 2023 attack, later dying in combat elsewhere.

Sudthisak Rinthalak worked as an agricultural laborer from Thailand at Kibbutz Be'eri, one of the communities most severely impacted in the attack.

Thailand had 31 workers abducted, constituting the largest group of foreign nationals held captive. Most were released during previous ceasefires. The Thai Foreign Ministry reported that beyond the hostages, 46 Thai citizens have died during the conflict.

Hamas has not yet addressed the latest handover or the missing remains situation.

Since early October when the ceasefire began, twenty living hostages and remains of 26 others have been returned to Israel. Both sides have accused each other of multiple ceasefire violations.

The announcement regarding Rafah's reopening came from COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for facilitating Gaza aid.

COGAT stated Israel would coordinate with Egypt on Palestinian departures, under European Union mission supervision. Those seeking to leave Gaza will require "Israeli security approval."

The ceasefire agreement stipulates opening the crossing for medical evacuations and travel to and from Gaza.

An Israeli official, speaking anonymously about operational plans, clarified that all Palestinians wishing to exit Gaza may do so through Rafah with Egypt's consent, but the crossing won't permit returns to Gaza. The official noted the EU still needed to finalize logistics before opening.

The crossing has remained sealed since May 2024 following Israel's military incursion into the area. It briefly opened in February for evacuating sick and wounded Palestinians for treatment during the previous ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday the appointment of an envoy to join talks with Lebanese diplomatic and economic officials.

Netanyahu's office described this as "the initial attempt to create a basis for relations and economic cooperation" between the countries, without specifying when or where discussions would occur.

The appointee will come from the national security adviser's office. Israeli media identified the envoy as Uri Resnick, a former diplomat and the council's deputy director for foreign policy.

Israel and Lebanon have technically remained at war since 1948. Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah concluded a months-long conflict with an unstable ceasefire one year ago.

On Wednesday, a Palestinian hospital reported that Israeli forces shot and killed a 46-year-old man in Gaza City's eastern Zeitoun neighborhood. The Al-Ahli hospital, which received the body, stated the man was shot within the designated "safe zone" that, under ceasefire terms, should not be under Israeli military control. Israel's military did not immediately respond to comment requests.

The Gaza Health Ministry reports over 360 Palestinian fatalities across Gaza since the ceasefire implementation on October 11. The ministry places the war's total Palestinian death toll above 70,100, noting approximately half were women and children without distinguishing between civilians and militants. The Hamas-run ministry employs medical professionals and maintains detailed records generally considered reliable by international observers.

The exchange of deceased individuals has been central to the initial phase of the US-brokered agreement, requiring Hamas to return all hostage remains as quickly as possible. Without these returns, Israel would likely withhold further Palestinian bodies.

Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel releases 15 Palestinian bodies for each hostage's remains. The Gaza Health Ministry reports receiving 330 remains thus far. Gaza health officials indicate they've identified only a fraction of the bodies returned by Israel, with identification complicated by insufficient DNA testing resources.

Exchanges have continued despite mutual accusations of violations. Israeli officials claim Hamas has returned partial remains in some cases and staged body discoveries in others.

Hamas alleges Israel has fired upon civilians and restricted humanitarian aid flow into Gaza. While casualties have decreased since the ceasefire began, Gaza officials continue reporting strike-related deaths, while Israel reports soldier casualties from attacks.

The ceasefire aims to conclude the war triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken.