Israel Approves Entry of Heavy Equipment and Mobile Homes into Gaza Amid Hostage Deal Negotiations
Despite Netanyahu's initial resistance, Israel allows heavy machinery and caravans into Gaza to advance hostage release talks.
Watan-An Egyptian source at the Rafah border crossing stated that the first batch of engineering vehicles has begun moving from the crossing toward the Israeli Kerem Shalom crossing in preparation for entry into the Gaza Strip. The source added that several bulldozers and rubble transport trucks have moved from Rafah toward Kerem Shalom for inspection before entering Gaza.
He noted that a batch of heavy machinery will be allowed into Gaza daily through the crossing. He also clarified that the instructions include permitting the entry of a batch of mobile homes (“caravans”) into Gaza through the crossing in the coming days.
Israel’s Channel 13 reported that, following a meeting of the Israeli Security Cabinet (the “Cabinet”), approval was given to allow the entry of several hundred caravans and heavy equipment into Gaza to accelerate the release of the Israeli hostages still alive in Gaza by next Saturday.
Hostage Deal Stalls Over Israeli Restrictions
According to recent Egyptian-Israeli understandings, Hamas was supposed to hand over the sixth batch of Israeli hostages, in exchange for Israel allowing the entry of mobile homes and heavy equipment on Saturday evening after the handover.
However, according to “Al-Araby Al-Jadeed,” Egyptian, American, and Israeli contacts took place on Saturday, during which Cairo officials expressed their anger over Israeli actions after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued directives not to allow the passage of mobile homes and heavy equipment.
The prisoner and hostage exchange process at the beginning of last week went through a critical phase that threatened to derail the ceasefire agreement and raised the possibility of resuming Israel’s war of extermination against Gaza.
This came after Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced the suspension of the planned exchange last week due to Israel’s failure to adhere to the humanitarian protocol. The crisis was eventually resolved following mediator intervention, with Israel pledging to comply.
An Israeli delegation is scheduled to visit the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to finalize the technical details of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Meanwhile, Israel’s Security Cabinet, in its meeting yesterday, did not make any decisions or hold a vote on the second phase of the agreement, according to Kan Reshet Bet radio, part of Israel’s public broadcasting authority.
