The Rafah crossing — Gaza’s vital gateway to Egypt and the outside world — remained closed on Wednesday, dashing hopes that aid convoys would finally roll into the devastated enclave. The closure came despite earlier reports that the lifeline crossing might reopen under the terms of the fragile ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Early in the day, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that the Rafah crossing would reopen to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. But as the day progressed, aid officials and humanitarian groups said that no movement had been allowed and that the crossing gates remained sealed. Egyptian officials, too, declined to confirm any reopening, while an Israeli government spokeswoman ignored repeated questions from reporters.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher voiced sharp frustration over the impasse, saying that the ceasefire — which had been hailed as a breakthrough by world leaders — was failing to deliver desperately needed aid.
“As Hamas have agreed, they must make strenuous efforts to return all the bodies of deceased hostages, urgently,” Fletcher said. “I am also gravely concerned by the evidence of violence against civilians in Gaza. As Israel has agreed, they must allow the massive surge of humanitarian aid — thousands of trucks a week — on which so many lives depend. We need more crossings open.”
The United Nations estimates that more than two million Palestinians are in dire need of food, medicine, and fuel, following nearly a year of siege and bombardment that has left much of Gaza in ruins. The Trump administration’s 20-point plan for Gaza, unveiled last month, promised to restore essential aid supplies and begin reconstruction, but implementation has been slow and politically fraught.
Under the Trump-brokered plan, Israel and Hamas are also expected to complete an exchange of human remains — a sensitive issue that has become central to sustaining the ceasefire. The deal has already seen the return of the last 20 surviving hostages held by Hamas in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails, as well as a halt in hostilities.
So far, Hamas has handed back eight bodies, seven of which have been identified. However, the identity of the eighth remains disputed, with Israeli military officials confirming overnight that the body did not belong to any of the hostages previously listed as deceased.
The revelation triggered outrage in Israel, with right-wing politicians accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire’s terms. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir threatened to cut off all aid deliveries to Gaza unless Hamas produces verifiable evidence of the remaining Israeli bodies.
Meanwhile, Israel transferred another 45 Palestinian bodies it had been holding to Gaza’s Nasser Hospital in the south, bringing the total returned to 90, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. Under the agreement, Israel is expected to hand over 15 Palestinian dead for each deceased Israeli hostage.
The war, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, cross-border assault, has plunged Gaza into one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history. Entire neighborhoods lie in rubble, while hospitals, schools, and basic utilities remain crippled. In late August, the United Nations declared a famine in Gaza — a claim Israel rejected as politically motivated.
Aid groups say the Rafah crossing must reopen immediately to avert further disaster. Fuel reserves are nearly depleted, water systems have collapsed, and hospitals are operating without adequate medical supplies. “Every hour the crossing stays closed costs lives,” said one international relief official.
Even as international mediators press for calm, Hamas appears to be consolidating its authority across the battered enclave. The group’s internal security forces have launched a sweeping crackdown on alleged collaborators and criminal elements.
On Tuesday, Hamas released a video showing the execution of eight blindfolded and kneeling men, accused of aiding Israel. The footage, filmed in an undisclosed location, drew condemnation from human rights groups and alarm from international observers.
Armed clashes have also erupted between Hamas security forces and rival Palestinian clans, some of which are suspected of having received Israeli support during the conflict.
In northern Gaza, as Israeli forces completed their withdrawal from Gaza City, Hamas’s black-masked police were seen resuming patrols. “Our message is clear,” a Hamas security official told reporters. “There will be no place for outlaws or those who threaten the security of citizens.”
Israel and the United States remain firm that Hamas will play no role in Gaza’s future governance. President Trump, speaking at the White House after his recent Middle East trip, reiterated that Hamas must fully disarm before any long-term reconstruction begins.
“If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them,” Trump warned. “And it will happen quickly — and perhaps violently.”
The fate of Gaza’s civilians remains caught between diplomacy and despair. With the Rafah crossing sealed, aid convoys idle, and tensions mounting on both sides, the fragile ceasefire risks unraveling before it can deliver on its promises of peace and relief.
