US urges Rafah reopening before final hostage freed, sparking Israeli concern over security and moral obligations.
Envoys of Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are expected to arrive in Israel on Saturday for talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a report by Ynet.
The discussions are expected to center on reopening the Rafah Crossing and launching initial steps toward Gaza’s rehabilitation. However, the talks come amid deep Israeli unease, as the final Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili, remains in Hamas captivity.
According to the report, US officials are pressing Israel to open the crossing even before Gvili’s return, while offering assurances that Washington will “guarantee maximum efforts” to locate and bring him home. For hostage families and large segments of the Israeli public, such guarantees fall far short of the moral red line: no reconstruction, no openings, and no concessions while a single hostage remains behind.
Israel confirmed on Thursday that it will begin internal discussions next week regarding the Rafah Crossing. A source in the Prime Minister’s Office said, “There is an ongoing effort to bring back Ran Gvili while exhausting all available intelligence. The Cabinet will address both the hostage issue and the Rafah crossing at the beginning of the week.”
The Rafah Crossing was meant to reopen under the ceasefire in effect since October, but it has remained shut due to repeated Hamas violations, including delays in returning the bodies of murdered hostages and continued obstruction.
Reports earlier this month indicated that Washington has been steadily increasing pressure on Jerusalem to move forward with reopening Rafah, viewing it as a gateway to humanitarian aid and reconstruction. Israeli critics warn that opening the crossing prematurely risks rearming Hamas, strengthening its control, and betraying the sacrifices made since October 7.
As Israel weighs US pressure against its own security doctrine and moral commitments, the message from families of the fallen and the kidnapped remains unwavering: the return of every hostage—starting with Ran Gvili—must come before any step that benefits Hamas or stabilizes its rule.
