Jerusalem: Israel will allow the southern Rafah crossing to reopen on Wednesday to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.

According to KAN, “Six hundred trucks of humanitarian aid will be dispatched (Wednesday) to the Gaza Strip by the UN, approved international organisations, the private sector and donor countries.” The broadcaster noted that the decision to reopen the crossing was made by the “political echelon,” following Hamas’s handover of the remains of four more hostages late Tuesday as part of the ongoing ceasefire arrangements.

Identification of returned hostages

Three of the four bodies returned by Hamas have been identified, the families confirmed on Wednesday following forensic verification.

“It is with immense sadness and pain that we announce the return of the body of our beloved Ouriel Baruch from the Gaza Strip, after two long years of prayer, hope, and faith,” said the family of the 35-year-old Jerusalem resident, who was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, at the Nova festival.

The families of 53-year-old taxi driver Eitan Levy and 18-year-old soldier Tamir Nimrodi also announced their return to Israel. Levy was killed after dropping off a friend at Kibbutz Beeri on the morning of the Hamas attack, while Nimrodi was captured at a military base on the Gaza border.

Ceasefire milestones and delays

The return of the bodies comes a day after Israel celebrated the release of the last 20 living hostages from Gaza, and Palestinians welcomed the release of around 2,000 prisoners and detainees in the first phase of the ceasefire.

Hamas and the International Committee of the Red Cross have said recovering the remains of deceased hostages has been complicated due to widespread destruction in Gaza. Hamas reportedly informed mediators that some bodies remain in areas under Israeli control.

The U.S.-proposed ceasefire plan had stipulated that all hostages, living and deceased, be handed over within 72 hours, effectively by Monday. The agreement also included a mechanism allowing for delays, requiring Hamas to provide information on the deceased and “exert maximum effort” to complete the handover as soon as possible. Families of the hostages expressed frustration that only four of the 28 expected bodies were returned on Monday.

Human toll of the conflict

The war has claimed more than 67,600 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is operated by the Hamas-run government. While the ministry does not provide detailed figures distinguishing civilians from combatants, it states that women and children constitute approximately half of the fatalities. Many independent experts consider these figures the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties in the territory.

The reopening of the Rafah crossing is expected to expedite the delivery of critical aid to Gaza amid ongoing humanitarian needs.

(With inputs from AFP)