Israel expected to open aid crossing into Gaza

Israel was expected to allow Gaza’s sole border crossing to the outside world to reopen Wednesday to allow humanitarian aid into the devastated territory as part of a US-backed ceasefire deal.

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Israeli public broadcaster KAN said the reopening was imminent despite questions over Hamas’s ongoing transfer of the remains of deceased hostages, under a swap deal spearheaded by US President Donald Trump after two years of war.

The swap has seen the last 20 surviving hostages return home in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails, as well as a halt in the fighting and bombardment.

So far, Hamas has handed back eight bodies, seven of which have been identified. The remains of 20 others remain in Gaza, and there is domestic pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to tie aid to the fate of the bodies.