Hamas hands over more bodies – Israel opens border crossing and resumes humanitarian aid

According to the Times of Israel, the Israeli government has decided to lift the sanctions against the Gaza Strip that were planned for Wednesday. Measures such as the closure of the Rafah border crossing and restrictions on humanitarian aid were originally a response to Hamas handing over only four of the 28 hostages who had been killed.

However, as reported by Israeli broadcaster Kan, Hamas handed over four more bodies in the evening. These were taken for forensic examination; their identification may take up to 48 hours.

Hamas also informed mediators that it intended to hand over four more bodies on Wednesday. In light of these developments, the Israeli authorities decided to reopen the Rafah border crossing and resume humanitarian aid in full.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in effect since last Friday at 11:00 a.m. CEST. The agreement was brokered by the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.

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