Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas called on Friday for Israel to immediately reopen Gaza’s Rafah crossing to Egypt, a measure Israel has previously agreed to without setting a timeframe.

In a statement, the group called for the ‘immediate transition to the second phase’ of the US-brokered truce in Gaza, namely its provision for the reopening of Rafah in both directions, as well as the entry of a recently appointed technocratic Palestinian committee to administer the territory.

The crossing, situated on the southern border with Egypt, is the only entry and exit route for Gaza that does not pass through Israel.

It lies in territory held by Israeli forces since their pull-back behind the so-called ‘Yellow Line’ under the terms of the ceasefire deal. Israeli troops still control more than half of Gaza.

The gateway is a vital entry point for aid, and the UN, international organisations and everyday Gazans have called for it to be reopened, given the dire humanitarian situation in the territory.

Israel had said on Monday that it would reopen Rafah after getting back the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza — which took place the same day — but only to pedestrians, and without providing a date.

The hostage, slain police officer Ran Gvili, was laid to rest in Israel on Wednesday, and the government has not made a formal announcement about Rafah since.

The Israeli military said on Friday it launched overnight strikes in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, killing three of them, with a fragile ceasefire still in place in the Palestinian territory.

The US-brokered ceasefire, which sought to halt the fighting between Israel and Hamas sparked by the group’s October, 2023 attack has been in place for more than three months despite both sides accusing the other of repeated violations.

Earlier in January, the United States announced that the truce had progressed to its second phase intended to bring a definitive end to the war.

Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war, repeated its call on Friday for the ceasefire’s guarantors — Egypt, the US, Qatar and Turkey — to exert ‘serious pressure’ on Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent him from obstructing the fragile deal.

Hamas and Israel accuse each other of truce violations on a daily basis.