Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced late Sunday an agreement to a limited reopening of the Rafah Crossing, aligning with US President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza.

According to Anadolu Agency, the agreement specifies that the crossing will be reopened for pedestrian passage only and will be subject to a comprehensive Israeli inspection mechanism. This development is contingent upon the return of all living hostages and a full effort by Hamas to locate and return all deceased hostages. Netanyahu's office further stated that the crossing would be opened following the completion of the search operation for the body of Israeli soldier Ran Gvili.

The Rafah Crossing has been closed on the Palestinian side since May 2024, amid Israel's two-year offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the deaths of over 71,400 people, primarily women and children, since October 2023. The reopening of the crossing has been linked to the retrieval of the last captive's body from the Strip.

Initially, the crossing was planned to reopen in October as part of the first phase of a ceasefire agreement effective from October 10. However, Israel did not adhere to this timeline. Since the ceasefire commenced, Palestinian factions have released 20 Israeli captives alive and returned the remains of 27 others, yet Gvili's body remains unreturned.

Since the ceasefire came into effect, the Israeli army has reportedly committed numerous violations, resulting in the deaths of at least 484 Palestinians and injuries to 1,321 others, as reported by the Health Ministry.