Gaza's Rafah Crossing Set to Reopen: A Glimmer of Hope Amidst Ongoing Chaos

The Rafah border crossing, Gaza's sole link to the outside world not under Israeli control, is set to reopen on Monday. This news comes from the Palestinian embassy in Egypt, which announced the development on Saturday. The cultural counselor, Naji al-Naji, mentioned that a large number of people have registered to return to Gaza, but exact figures were not provided. Meanwhile, the search for the dead in Gaza's ruins continues, with the Palestinian death toll surpassing 68, 000 since the ceasefire began over a week ago. The remains of a tenth hostage, Eliyahu Margalit, were identified and returned to his family. Margalit, a 76-year-old abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas-led attack in October 2023, was found in Khan Younis after bulldozers unearthed pits in the area. The ceasefire agreement, backed by much of the international community, includes key points such as the handover of hostages' remains, aid deliveries into Gaza, and discussions about the territory's future. However, the process is hampered by the extensive devastation and the presence of unexploded ordnance. Hamas has stated that some remains are in areas controlled by Israeli troops. As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel returned the bodies of 15 more Palestinians to Gaza on Saturday, bringing the total to 135. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that the number of deaths has continued to climb since the ceasefire began, with many newly counted bodies found during recovery efforts. Thousands of people are still missing, according to the Red Cross. Hamas has accused Israel of continuing attacks and violating the ceasefire, asserting that 38 Palestinians have been killed since it began. On Friday, Gaza's Civil Defense reported that nine people, including women and children, were killed when their vehicle was hit by Israeli fire in Gaza City. The Civil Defense criticized Israel for not using a non-lethal warning method and recovered the bodies with UN coordination. Israel's army stated that it saw a "suspicious vehicle" crossing the so-called yellow line and approaching troops. The army claimed it fired warning shots, but the vehicle continued to approach, posing an "imminent threat. " The army said it acted in accordance with the ceasefire. Hamas has urged mediators to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, expedite the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and start the reconstruction of the battered territory. However, the flow of aid remains constrained due to continued closures of crossings and Israeli restrictions on aid groups. U. N. data showed that 339 trucks have been offloaded for distribution in Gaza since the ceasefire began. Under the agreement, some 600 aid trucks per day should be allowed to enter. COGAT, the Israeli defense body overseeing aid in Gaza, reported 950 trucks crossing on Thursday and 716 on Wednesday, according to the U. N. Throughout the war, Israel has restricted aid to Gaza, sometimes halting it altogether. International food security experts have declared famine in Gaza City, and the U. N. has verified over 400 deaths from malnutrition-related causes, including over 100 children. Israel has long claimed that it lets in enough food and accused Hamas of stealing much of it, a claim denied by the U. N. and other aid agencies.