Israel says it will begin allowing Palestinians to depart Gaza via a reopened border crossing, aligning with a ceasefire framework backed by the United States, even though it notes that the partial remains handed over by militants do not match the hostages still in Gaza.
The unresolved remains of two hostages threaten to derail the ceasefire’s initial phase. Yet by confirming the Rafah crossing will open, Israel signals it is pursuing elements of the plan.
The first phase of the agreement envisions winding down with the return of the remaining two hostages. Palestinian militants, who appear to be struggling to locate the remains amid Gaza’s rubble, said they were resuming searches on Wednesday.
After these exchanges, the 20-point plan calls for establishing an international stabilization force, creating a technocratic Palestinian government, and disarming Hamas.
The World Health Organization reports more than 16,500 sick and wounded people needing to leave Gaza for medical care.
remains search
Two hostage bodies remain in Gaza: Israeli Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak. In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said forensic tests showed the remains returned Tuesday did not match either individual.
Saraya al-Quds, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said its fighters were moving to northern Gaza on Wednesday to look for the remains, accompanied by Red Cross workers according to the group’s Telegram channel.
Gvili was an Israeli police officer who helped people escape from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and was later killed in a separate clash. Sudthisak Rinthalak was a Thai agricultural worker employed at Kibbutz Be’eri, among the hardest-hit communities.
Overall, 31 Thai workers were abducted—the largest group of foreigners held captive—with most released during the first two ceasefires. Thailand’s Foreign Ministry notes that aside from the hostages, 46 Thais have been killed in the war.
Hamas has not commented on the latest handover or the information about missing remains.
Since the ceasefire began in early October, 20 living hostages and the remains of 26 others have been returned to Israel. Both sides have accused the other of breaching the ceasefire multiple times.
Rafah to reopen in the coming days
COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for facilitating aid to Gaza, announced that Rafah would reopen with coordination from Egypt and under the supervision of an EU mission. Palestinians wishing to leave Gaza would need Israeli security clearance, according to COGAT.
The ceasefire framework envisions the crossing opening for medical evacuations and for travel to and from Gaza.
An Israeli official, speaking on background, said that all Palestinians who wish to exit could do so via Rafah if Egypt is willing to receive them, but the crossing would not be open for people returning to Gaza. The EU still needs to adjust some logistical details before the crossing can operate.
The crossing was sealed in May 2024 during an Israeli military operation and opened briefly in February this year for medical evacuations under a previous ceasefire.
Israel appoints envoy for talks with Lebanon
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the appointment of an envoy to engage with Lebanese diplomatic and economic officials. The move is described as an initial effort to establish a basis for relations and economic cooperation, though no dates or venues were provided.
The appointment presumably comes from the office of the national security adviser, with Israeli media identifying the envoy as Uri Resnick, a former diplomat and deputy director for foreign policy at the council.
Israel and Lebanon have been technically at war since 1948, and a protracted clash with Hezbollah ended in a fragile ceasefire about a year ago.
Palestinian hospital reports another Gaza death
A Palestinian man was reported killed by Israeli fire in Gaza City’s Zeitoun district, according to Al-Ahli hospital. Israel did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The hospital said the man was shot within a so-called “safe zone,” an area not controlled by Israeli forces under the ceasefire terms.
The Gaza Health Ministry puts Palestinian fatalities at over 360 since the ceasefire began on October 11, with the broader war toll exceeding 70,100. The ministry, under Hamas’s governance, does not distinguish between militants and civilians but notes that roughly half of the dead are women and children. The ministry’s data are generally regarded as reliable by the international community, though collection is challenging in the conflict zone.
fluctuate remains exchanges
The ongoing exchange of deceased individuals has been central to the initial phase of the U.S.-brokered agreement, which requires Hamas to return all hostages’ remains promptly. Without such remains, Israel’s willingness to release additional Palestinian remains has been uncertain.
Israel has released 15 Palestinian bodies for every hostage remains exchange as part of the ceasefire. Gaza’s Health Ministry says 330 bodies have been handed over so far, with identification of remains hampered by limited DNA testing capacity. The process continues amid accusations from both sides of ceasefire violations related to the handling of remains and the flow of humanitarian aid.
Hamas accuses Israel of firing on civilians and restricting aid, while Israel says its soldiers have also suffered losses in militant attacks. The ceasefire aims to quell the war triggered by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel, an assault that left about 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage.
