Pull The Ulur, Israel Has Not Confirmed When The Gaza Strip Rafah Crossing Will Be Opened

Rafah, Gaza/DOK PHOTO/MAY UNICEF/Eyad El Baba

JAKARTA - Uncertainty is still shrouding plans to reopen Rafah crossings in the Gaza Strip for citizens, as Israel has yet to set an official date for the opening of the border.

The tug of war over the opening of the Rafah border took place amid accusations between Israelis andHamas about violations of the ceasefire.

The Israeli Government Coordinating Board in the Palestinian Territories (COGAT) which is under the military and is responsible for the flow of aid to Gaza, said in a statement the date of opening the crossing terminal for citizens would be announced later after all preparations were completed, in collaboration with the Egyptian side.

Rafah's previous crossing is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, October 15, as part of the first phase of implementing a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas which took effect on Friday last week.

However, COGAT emphasized that humanitarian aid would not be channeled through Rafah crossings because this was not agreed at any stage.

The agency also claims humanitarian aid remains distributed to the Gaza Strip through the border of the Kerem SALom and a number of other cross-posts after undergoing security checks by Israel.

Since May 2024, the Israeli military has closed access in and out of Palestinians through the Rafah crossing, the only link between Gaza and the outside world that was previously not under Tel Aviv's control before the war began in October 2023.

According to Israeli media reports, Tel Aviv refused to reopen the crossing until all the bodies of Israeli hostages detained by Hamas were returned.

Hamas has released 20 surviving Israeli hostages and handed over the bodies of 10 others as part of a ceasefire agreement, in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

The Palestinian struggle group, stated they were trying hard to find the remains of the other hostages.

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was reached last week based on a plan proposed by United States President Donald Trump.

The first stage includes exchanging Israeli hostages with Palestinian prisoners, while the next stage includes Gaza reconstruction and the formation of a new government mechanism without Hamas involvement.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left the region almost uninhabitable.