Palestinian and Egyptian sources said Israel allowed only 12 of 50 Palestinians attempting to cross into Gaza to enter, sending the rest back to Egypt. Those who entered said they were transferred to an IDF checkpoint by armed militiamen, a claim confirmed by an Israeli defense official

As representatives of 28 countries oversee Israel's actions in Gaza, IDF officials fear Israel's security has become secondary to Trump's cease-fire plan, and Israeli defense officials fear Hamas will fool the world into only partially disarming

The reopening comes nearly two years after Israel seized the crossing in May 2024. The conditions for crossing in and out of the enclave, however, remain unclear. 'Everything is still a mystery,' one source wondered. 'Will civilians who are not defined as humanitarian cases also be allowed to leave?'

An official who spoke to Haaretz recounted the unbelievable difficulty in attaining and assessing information about hostages during the war, and how the IDF's conduct sometimes put them in more danger

Although many international experts have accepted the Health Ministry's data as reliable, and even conservative relative to the true death toll, Israel had refused to accept the Health Ministry's count until now

Netanyahu pledged that Gaza will be demilitarized and that its ruins will not be rebuilt until Hamas lays down its arms. In practice, the Strip is entering a phase of civilian reconstruction at an accelerated pace, and Hamas is managing to preserve its grip on civilian and economic life

The decision marks a departure from Israel's demand for full demilitarization before rebuilding. Senior defense officials warn they have received no instructions on how Hamas would be disarmed