At the conclusion of the Security Cabinet meeting on Sunday evening, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the Rafah crossing will open only after the full completion of Operation Brave Heart, led by the IDF to locate and recover the body of fallen hostage Staff Sergeant Ran Gvili.
According to the PMO, "As part of President Trump’s 20-point plan, Israel has agreed to a limited reopening of the Rafah crossing for pedestrian passage only, subject to a full Israeli inspection mechanism."
"The reopening of the crossing is contingent on the return of all living hostages and a 100% effort by Hamas to locate and return all deceased hostages," it added.
The statement clarified that the actual return of the body is not a prerequisite for opening the crossing. Instead, the crossing may be opened once all efforts to recover the body have been exhausted. In other words, if it is determined that the operation has exhausted all available intelligence and operational options, the crossing may be approved for opening, even if Gvili has not yet been returned, in accordance with agreements made with the United States.
"The IDF is currently conducting a focused operation to exhaust all intelligence gathered in the effort to locate and return the fallen hostage, Master-Sgt. Ran Gvili, of blessed memory. Upon completion of this operation, and in accordance with what has been agreed upon with the US, Israel will open the Rafah crossing," said the PMO statement.
"The State of Israel is committed to the return of Israeli hero Master-Sgt. Ran Gvili and will spare no effort to bring him home for a proper Jewish burial," it concluded.
The IDF’s operation is taking place in the cemetery area of the Daraj-Tuffah neighborhood in northern Gaza, based on updated intelligence recently obtained through covert operations. Forces are using specialized identification tools, including dental teams equipped with mobile X-ray devices.
The IDF noted that the intelligence leading to the operation was not provided by Hamas, but gathered by Israeli security agencies and shared with the mediators, who then received Hamas’s approval.
Earlier on Sunday, Abu Obeida, spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing, claimed the terrorist organization had transferred all information it possessed regarding the location of Gvili to the mediators as part of the ceasefire agreement efforts.
The statement asserted that Hamas acted with full transparency in handling hostages, transferring all of them as quickly as possible and without delay - despite what it described as Israeli violations and lack of commitment.
According to Hamas, the recovery operations for bodies and hostages were carried out under extremely difficult and nearly impossible conditions, in coordination with the mediators. The terror organization called on the mediators to compel Israel to uphold its commitments under the agreement.
Hamas added that the information it provided to the mediators included all details it had regarding Gvili’s location, noting that the IDF’s current activity at one of the sites mentioned in that information serves as proof.
The Hamas statement was issued ahead of the Cabinet discussion on opening the Rafah Crossing in both directions.