Israel will reopen Gaza’s key Rafah crossing on Wednesday to allow the entry of humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territory, according to Israeli public broadcaster KAN.
“Six hundred trucks of humanitarian aid will be dispatched on Wednesday to the Gaza Strip by the UN, approved international organisations, the private sector, and donor countries,” KAN reported, citing no specific sources.
The reopening of the southern Rafah crossing, decided by Israel’s “political echelon,” follows Hamas handing over the remains of four more hostages on Tuesday under the ongoing ceasefire deal.
Meanwhile, Hamas has intensified its control over Gaza’s devastated cities, launching a crackdown and executing alleged collaborators. This came a day after the group handed over four other captives’ bodies and released the last 20 surviving hostages.
A video shared on Hamas’s official channel showed the execution of eight blindfolded and kneeling suspects, labelled as “collaborators and outlaws.” The footage, reportedly filmed Monday evening, surfaced amid armed clashes between Hamas security units and Palestinian clans in parts of Gaza — marking the fifth day of the US-brokered truce between Hamas and Israel.
In northern Gaza, Israeli forces have withdrawn from Gaza City, allowing Hamas’s armed police to resume street patrols. When buses carrying prisoners freed from Israeli jails arrived Monday, Hamas’s Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades managed the crowds.
A Hamas “Deterrence Force” has been conducting ongoing operations against armed clans and gangs, some suspected of receiving Israeli support.
Witnesses described intense gunfire and explosions in Gaza City’s Shujaiya district, as Hamas security forces clashed with the powerful Hilles family. “The security forces arrested some of them. We support this,” one resident, Mohammed, told AFP.
A Hamas security source said the new unit’s operations aim to “ensure security and stability”, declaring, “There will be no place for outlaws or those who threaten citizens’ safety.”
For many Palestinians, the renewed presence of armed police brings reassurance. “After the war ended and the police spread out in the streets, we started to feel safe,” said Abu Fadi Al-Banna, 34, from Deir al-Balah. Another resident, Hamdiya Shammiya, who fled northern Gaza for Khan Yunis, added, “Thank God the war is finally over. We’ve started to breathe again.”
While Gazans seek stability, Israeli families are pressing for the return of the remains of hostages still held in Gaza.
