Rafah crossing remains closed as Israel cites Hamas delays—the details

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

Taking advantage of what it calls Hamas’ failure to fully comply with the terms of Trump’s plan—specifically the clause requiring the return of Israeli hostages’ remains—and citing logistical challenges of its own, Israel continues to delay the reopening of the Rafah crossing and the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza.

So far, two key breaches of the agreement have been noted: Israel’s failure to open the crossing and Hamas’ delay in handing over the bodies. Although no timeline was specified for the transfer, Tel Aviv accused Hamas of returning one body out of eight on Tuesday that did not belong to an Israeli hostage.

Since the ceasefire agreement was signed, analysts have expected Israel to look for pretexts to maintain heightened security tensions in Gaza. Just 24 hours after implementation began, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to forcibly disarm Hamas.

The escalation in Gaza mirrors Israel’s behavior in Lebanon following the ceasefire there. What most concerns Israel now, however, is U.S. coordination with Hamas and Washington’s approval for the group to deploy security forces to maintain order in Gaza.

At the same time, Israelis are divided over whether to apply the “Lebanon model” in Gaza. Some argue that Hezbollah faces significant domestic pressure in Lebanon to disarm, while others believe that the Israeli government—under U.S. pressure—will refrain from replicating the Lebanese scenario, especially as foreign actors begin operations on the ground in Gaza.

Security officials have suggested that Hamas may agree to surrender its offensive weapons—collected by American and international parties—while retaining light arms such as rifles under its agreement with Washington.

Multiple scenarios remain possible, and questions continue to surround Gaza’s future and how Hamas will leverage its remaining power and influence moving forward.