NAZARETH, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday a conditional approval to reopen the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza, saying the move would be limited to the passage of individuals only and subject to full Israeli monitoring, without setting a fixed opening date.
In a statement, Netanyahu’s office said the reopening is conditioned on the return of all Israeli captives, alive and dead, and on Hamas exerting what it called “maximum effort” to recover them.
The statement added that Rafah crossing would open only after the recovery of the body of Israeli soldier Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, effectively tying the crossing’s reopening to ongoing search operations.
Israel’s Channel 12 quoted a US official as saying the crossing is expected to reopen by the end of the current week. Earlier Sunday, Netanyahu’s office said search efforts for Gvili’s body are focused on a cemetery in northern Gaza, using available intelligence.
The Israeli military said its southern command has launched a targeted operation near the so-called “yellow line” in northern Gaza to recover the body. The announcement followed a meeting of Israel’s security cabinet to discuss the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire and the Rafah crossing.
Israeli media reported that Netanyahu discussed Rafah’s reopening with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who urged reopening the Gaza–Egypt crossing during talks in occupied Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, Hamas said it has fully complied with the captives’ file under the ceasefire. Abu Obeida, spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing, said all living captives and bodies in its possession were handed over without delay, despite what he described as Israeli violations and attacks.
Axios reported that Nickolay Mladenov, the senior representative of the Gaza Board of Peace, is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday to discuss reopening Rafah crossing and moving to the next phase of the ceasefire.
Last week, Ali Shaath, head of Gaza’s National Administration Committee, said Rafah crossing would reopen in both directions this week, without detailing the mechanism. Israel seized control of the crossing in May 2024 during its assault on Gaza, shutting it down and destroying facilities.
On January 4, Israel’s Haaretz reported that the Palestinian Authority would manage the Palestinian side with support from a European Union force.
