Skip next section Israel still to make announcement on Rafah crossing opening
10/16/2025October 16, 2025
Israel still to make announcement on Rafah crossing opening
Israel has said the opening date for the Rafah crossing between and Egypt will be announced at a later stage, and confirmed that no aid will pass through the gateway.
In a statement Thursday, COGAT — the Israeli Defense Ministry agency overseeing civil affairs in the Palestinian territories — said the crossing would open only for the movement of people once Israel and Egypt complete preparations.
“It should be emphasized that humanitarian aid will not pass through the Rafah Crossing. This was never agreed upon at any stage,” it said, adding that “aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip” through other crossings.
Rafah is a key international crossing into Gaza.
When it was open, international aid often entered from Egypt and was between Israel and southern Gaza for inspection by Israeli authorities before being collected by aid agencies and shipped into Gaza.
Rafah briefly reopened during a short truce in January 2025, but only to allow people wishing to leave Gaza to pass through.
The compound on the Gaza side of the crossing was in May 2024.
https://p.dw.com/p/525BP
Skip next section Israel identifies 2 hostages among bodies returned by Hamas
10/16/2025October 16, 2025
Israel identifies 2 hostages among bodies returned by Hamas
The Israeli military said Thursday it has identified the remains of two hostages, Inbar Hayman and Sergeant Major Mohammad al-Atrash, whose bodies were returned by Hamas the previous evening.
“Following the completion of the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, representatives informed the families of Inbar Hayman and Sergeant Major Mohammad al-Atrash that their bodies had been repatriated for burial,” the army said in a statement.
Hayman, a 27-year-old graffiti artist from Haifa known by the pseudonym “Pink,” was killed at the Nova music festival on and her remains taken to Gaza. Al-Atrash, a 39-year-old Bedouin soldier, was killed in combat that same day, and his body was also taken into the Palestinian territory.
https://p.dw.com/p/524pJ
Skip next section Israel urges Germany to lift arms export halt after Gaza ceasefire
10/16/2025October 16, 2025
Israel urges Germany to lift arms export halt after Gaza ceasefire
Israel has called on Germany to end its and drop its travel warning for parts of the country following the ceasefire in Gaza.
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said in Berlin that with the war over, Israel expects Germany to lift both restrictions. She expressed confidence in Germany’s role in postwar diplomacy, saying her government views Berlin as a trustworthy partner and would welcome German participation in a potential peacekeeping force.
Asked about historical sensitivities, Haskel said Israel “trusts” Germany, recalling public solidarity after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
On August 8, Chancellor Friedrich Merz ordered a that could be used in Gaza, citing what he called increasingly aggressive Israeli military actions. Until then, Berlin had escalated its criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government but stopped short of sanctions.
After Israel and Hamas agreed on initial steps toward a peace process, Merz said the export restrictions would be reviewed but stressed he would first coordinate any change with his coalition partners.
Leaders in Merz’s conservative bloc have pushed for a rapid lifting of the curbs, while the center-left Social Democrats, his junior partners, have not yet taken a position.
https://p.dw.com/p/524qT
Skip next section Israel threatens to resume fighting if Hamas breaks ceasefire
10/16/2025October 16, 2025
Israel threatens to resume fighting if Hamas breaks ceasefire
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has threatened to resume fighting if Hamas does not comply with the terms of the US-backed ceasefire, his office has said.
Hamas handed over the remains of two more deceased hostages on Wednesday, but said it could not recover further bodies from Gaza without specialized equipment.
Since Monday, Hamas has released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel.
Before Wednesday, Hamas had returned the remains of seven of 28 known deceased hostages, plus one body that Israel later said was not a former hostage.
“If Hamas refuses to comply with the agreement, Israel, in coordination with the United States, will resume fighting and act to achieve a total defeat of Hamas,” the defense minister’s office said.
https://p.dw.com/p/524qB
Skip next section Welcome to our coverage10/16/2025October 16, 2025
Welcome to our coverage
Welcome to DW’s coverage of events in Gaza, Israel and the wider Middle East.
As the ceasefire continues to hold, discussions are continuing on when the vital Rafah border crossing between Israel and Egypt will open for the movement of people.
We will also be looking at Israel’s request for Germany to lift its partial arms ban and the continuing recovery of deceased hostages being handed over by Hamas.
Israel has reaffirmed its position that it will resume fighting if Hamas breaks the ceasefire, with the delays in returning hostage bodies becoming a key issue.
Follow along as DW brings you the latest reports, backgrounders and analysis on developments across the Middle East.
https://p.dw.com/p/524pK
The post Middle East: Preparations underway to open Rafah crossing appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
