Rafah Crossing Sparks Crisis Between Netanyahu and Ben Gvir

SadaNews - As the opening of the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt approaches, a crisis has erupted in the Israeli government due to the far-right's objection to the anticipated decision.

An American official told the "Times of Israel" that Washington expects the crossing to open by the end of this week, following the recovery of the body of Ron Gully, the last Israeli hostage in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli public broadcasting reported that American sources stated that the mechanism for operating the Rafah crossing and reaching final agreements to open it this week "has been finalized between the United States, Israel, Egypt, and the Palestinian side."

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced approval to open the Rafah crossing "for individuals only and under complete Israeli supervision," as part of the twenty-point plan set by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the Gaza war.

Netanyahu's office considered that the next phase in Gaza is "disarmament and not reconstruction," indicating "Israel's interest in expediting it to complete the war's objectives."

However, the Israeli public broadcasting mentioned sharp disagreements within the Israeli government regarding the anticipated decision to open the Rafah crossing.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir criticized the decision to open the crossing, calling it a "big mistake," while Minister of Settlement Orit Strook warned against what she deemed "handing over Gaza to the Palestinian Authority," knowing that both ministers are from the far-right.

On Tuesday, Israel recovered the remains of the last hostage held in the Gaza Strip, thus concluding the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

The military stated in a press release that after "completing the identification procedures conducted by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine," the family of Ron Gully was informed of the return of his remains to Israel for burial.

It added: "Thus, all hostages who were held in the Gaza Strip have been returned."