Israeli military launches attacks on Gaza, ceasefire under strain

RAFAH CROSSING TO REMAIN CLOSED

The Israeli government and Hamas have been accusing each other of violations of the ceasefire for days, with Israel saying the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will remain closed until further notice.

Rafah has largely been shut since May 2024. The ceasefire deal also includes the ramping up of aid to Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people were determined in August to be affected by famine, according to the IPC global hunger monitor.

The crossing has in previous ceasefires functioned as a key conduit for humanitarian aid to flow into the enclave.

Hamas’ armed wing said on Sunday that it has located the body of a hostage, which it said will be delivered to Israel on Sunday if field conditions were appropriate.

The group said any Israeli “escalation” would hinder search operations.

Israel and Hamas have been engaged in a dispute over the return of the bodies of deceased hostages. Israel demanded that Hamas fulfil its obligations in turning over the remaining bodies of all 28 hostages.

Hamas has returned all 20 live hostages and 12 of the deceased and has said it has no interest in keeping the bodies of remaining hostages. The group said the process needs effort and special equipment to recover corpses buried under rubble.

Formidable obstacles to US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war still remain. Key questions of Hamas disarming, the governance of Gaza, the make-up of an international “stabilisation force”, and moves towards the creation of a Palestinian state have yet to be resolved.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Renewed fighting in Gaza and concerns over the ceasefire pushed key Tel Aviv share indices down nearly 2 per cent on Sunday.