Israel To Reopen Key Gaza Border Crossing After Saying Returned Remains Don’t Match Hostages

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel announced plans Wednesday to reopen a key Gaza border crossing to allow Palestinians to exit the strip, while saying some of the remains brought back by militants did not match hostages remaining in Gaza.

The missing remains of two hostages threaten to disrupt the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. However, Israel showed that it was making progress on some parts of the US-backed plan by promising to open the Rafah border crossing.

The first phase of the plan is expected to end with the return of the remaining two hostages. Palestinian militants trying to find remains among the ruins of war-torn Gaza said they were searching again on Wednesday.

Following the changes, the 20-point plan calls for: Creating an international stabilization forceEstablish a technocratic Palestinian government and disarm Hamas.

The World Health Organization says there are more than 16,500 sick and injured people who must leave Gaza for medical care.

Bodies of two hostages found still in Gaza: Israeli Ran Gvili and Thai citizen Sudthisak Rinthalak. The Prime Minister’s Office said Wednesday that forensic tests showed that the remains returned Tuesday also did not match.

Saraya al-Quds, the military arm of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said its militants moved into northern Gaza on Wednesday morning to search for remains.

The group said on its Telegram channel that the militants were accompanied by Red Cross workers.

Gvili was an Israeli police officer who helped people escape. nova music festival He was killed while fighting elsewhere on 7 October 2023. The army confirmed his death four months later. He is survived by his parents and a sister.

Sudthisak Rinthalak was a Thai agricultural worker working on Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the communities hardest hit. According to media reports, Sudthisak had been working in Israel since 2017.

Total 31 workers from Thailand The largest group of foreigners held in captivity was kidnapped. Most were released in the first and second ceasefires. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that 46 Thais, as well as hostages, were killed during the war.

Hamas has yet to comment on reports of the latest handover or missing remains.

Since the ceasefire began in early October, 20 live hostages and the remains of 26 people have been returned to Israel. Both Hamas and Israel have repeatedly accused each other of violating the ceasefire.

The statement regarding the opening of Rafah came from COGAT, the Israeli military organization responsible for facilitating aid to Gaza.

It was stated that Israel will coordinate with Egypt regarding the exit of the Palestinians under the supervision of a mission from the European Union. COGAT said those wishing to leave Gaza would need “Israeli security approval”.

The ceasefire agreement calls for the crossing to be opened for medical evacuations and travel to and from the strip.

But an Israeli official, speaking anonymously to discuss operational plans, said all Palestinians leaving Gaza could leave Rafah as long as Egypt accepts them. The official said that the European Union must make some adjustments in logistics before the crossing can be opened.

The crossing was closed in May 2024 when the Israeli army occupied the area. It was opened briefly in February this year to evacuate sick and injured Palestinians for treatment as part of a previous ceasefire agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that he had appointed an envoy to participate in talks with Lebanese diplomatic and economic officials.

Netanyahu’s office described the appointment as “the first attempt to lay the foundation for relations and economic cooperation between the two countries.” It was not specified when and where the meetings would be held.

The statement stated that Netanyahu’s appointment would be made through the office of the national security advisor. Israeli media identified the envoy as Uri Resnick, a former diplomat and the council’s deputy director for foreign policy.

Israel and Lebanon have been at war since 1948. Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah waged a months-long war that ended in a shaky ceasefire a year ago.

The exchange of dead formed the central component of the first phase of the US-brokered deal, which required Hamas to return the remains of all hostages as quickly as possible. Israel was unlikely to release any more Palestinian bodies on Wednesday without the hostages’ remains being returned.

Israel releases Funeral of 15 Palestinians The Gaza Ministry of Health said the total number of bodies taken so far was 330. Health officials in Gaza said: I could only identify part of it. The process is complicated by the number of bodies handed over by Israel and the lack of DNA testing kits.

Talks continued as did Israel and Hamas we blamed each other for violating other terms of the agreement. Israeli officials accused Hamas of handing over some of the remains in some cases and of staging the discovery of the bodies in others.

Hamas accused Israel of opening fire on civilians and restricting the flow of humanitarian aid to the region. The death toll has fallen since the ceasefire took effect, but authorities in Gaza continue to report deaths from attacks while Israel says soldiers have also been killed in militant attacks.

The ceasefire aims to end the war triggered by a Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed nearly 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.

Gaza Ministry of Health announced that the number of Palestinians has increased It exceeded 70,100. The ministry does not distinguish between militants and civilians but says the majority of those killed were women and children. The ministry operates under the Hamas-led government. It is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records that are generally considered reliable by the international community.

Magdy reported from Cairo.