Daijiworld Media Network - Gaza
Gaza, Oct 16: In a significant development towards stabilizing the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, aid trucks rolled into the Palestinian enclave on Wednesday as Israel resumed preparations to reopen the main Rafah border crossing. The move came after Hamas handed over additional bodies of deceased Israeli hostages, easing tensions that had threatened to derail the truce.
Israeli authorities had earlier warned that they would keep the Rafah crossing closed and restrict aid deliveries due to delays in the return of the bodies by Hamas. The dispute had raised fears of renewed conflict after two years of devastating warfare that left Gaza shattered and resulted in the release of all surviving hostages.
Following the overnight transfer of more bodies, an Israeli security official confirmed that preparations were under way to reopen the Rafah crossing to facilitate humanitarian movement, while another official said around 600 aid trucks would be allowed into Gaza.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, who brokered the ceasefire deal, warned Hamas against violating the agreement. “Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap out of them, they’d do that,” Trump told CNN, indicating that military operations could resume if the terms of the truce are not upheld.
Hamas handed over four bodies confirmed to be those of Israeli hostages on Monday, followed by another four on Tuesday night. However, Israeli officials later clarified that one of the bodies did not belong to a hostage. The Israeli military also confirmed receiving two more coffins from the Red Cross in northern Gaza late on Wednesday, which have been sent for forensic identification.
Despite progress, officials cautioned that the dispute over the return of bodies and other unresolved issues could still jeopardize the ceasefire. For now, however, the reopening of Rafah and the flow of humanitarian aid offer a fragile but hopeful sign of calm returning to the war-torn enclave.