Hamas put out a statement on Thursday saying that it remained committed to the October agreement and accusing Israel of seeking to “undermine international efforts aimed at consolidating the ceasefire”.
Speaking at Davos, Israeli President Isaac Herzog praised the “efforts of President Trump and his leadership”. But he warned: “The real test has to be Hamas leaving Gaza”.
President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs in parts of the occupied West Bank, called for the full implementation of the peace plan, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a central role for the PA in administering Gaza.
The head of the NCAG, Ali Shaath, meanwhile announced that the Rafah border crossing with Egypt would open next week in both directions. It has been mostly closed since May 2024, when the Palestinian side was seized by Israeli forces.
“Opening Rafah signals that Gaza is no longer closed to the future and to the war,” he said.
The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Israel responded to the attack by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 71,560 people have been killed, according to the territory’s health ministry.
