In the current ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli government has announced that eight hostages who were supposed to be released in the first phase are now confirmed to have died. The families of the deceased have been informed, according to Israeli Government Spokesperson David Mencer on Monday.
Hamas had previously handed over a list of the hostages to Israel, with their status, after a prolonged period of negotiations. Out of the initial 33 hostages expected to be released in the first phase, 26 remain in Hamas’s custody, including the eight presumed dead. In exchange, Israel is releasing around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. Three more hostages are expected to be released on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
Meanwhile, a group of EU border control officials is en route to the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, according to a report by the Tagesschau. Officials from Italy, Spain and France will arrive in Rafah to support the reopening of the border post, as announced by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
The reopening of the Rafah border crossing is part of a three-phase agreement between Hamas and Israel to end the Gaza conflict. The border crossing is expected to facilitate the import of significantly more humanitarian aid for Palestinians in the coastal strip. However, the exact timing of the reopening remains undefined.