Rafah crossing set to reopen after return of final Israeli hostage

The crossing is expected to open on Wednesday in a preliminary phase to prepare for the movement of people in both directions.

By World Israel News Staff

Moves to reopen the Rafah border crossing are gaining momentum following the retrieval of the remains of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, the final Israeli hostage held in Gaza, according to multiple Arab and Israeli media reports.

Senior official sources cited by the pro-Qatar newspaper Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed said the crossing is expected to open on Wednesday in a preliminary phase to prepare for the movement of people in both directions.

A senior source said a full reopening would follow once outstanding issues are resolved, including access arrangements from the Palestinian side and final approval of passenger lists.

Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya also reported that American, Egyptian, and Israeli coordination has already begun, with preparations accelerating after the completion of the first phase of the Gaza agreement.

The outlet said a European monitoring force has arrived on the Palestinian side of the crossing, while a U.S. official confirmed the reopening would be carried out in coordination with Egypt and Israel.

According to Walla, Israeli security officials expect the crossing to open initially to pedestrian traffic only, in both directions.

Sources in the IDF’s Southern Command said Palestinians leaving Gaza for Egypt would undergo security screening by European Union personnel, aimed at identifying senior militants.

Those returning from Egypt would also be checked, with the IDF and other security bodies expected to operate a controlled entry point to prevent the smuggling of weapons, military equipment, or dual-use materials.

Until recently, Israel had kept Rafah closed as leverage, conditioning its reopening on the return of Gvili’s remains. Israeli media described the policy as a clear signal that Israel would not move toward postwar normalization while Hamas still held the body of the last fallen hostage.

Diplomatic pressure on Israel to reopen the crossing intensified in recent weeks.

Last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority official tapped to head a new technocratic committee overseeing Gaza, said Rafah would open “within days,” a statement that reportedly surprised Israeli officials.

Subsequent reports said the Trump administration had already raised the issue directly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pressing for the crossing’s reopening once the final hostage issue was resolved.

With Gvili’s remains now returned, the path has cleared for Rafah’s reopening, marking a significant shift in Gaza’s border arrangements even as security concerns remain.