Haaretz: Rafah crossing to open within days after Egyptian pressure

The Hebrew-language newspaper “Haaretz” reported on Wednesday evening that Israel is expected to reopen the Rafah crossing in the coming days, after pressure exerted by Egypt, as part of the first phase of implementing the agreement with Hamas.

Israeli security sources said yesterday that the crossing had not been allowed to open because there were no concrete steps by Hamas to locate the bodies of the hostages; since then, however, the remains of three additional hostages have been returned.

An European Union force will be stationed at the crossing to monitor civilian movement, similar to what took place during the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas last January.