Istanbul/Sharm el-Sheikh, October 13, 2025 – In a pivotal development for the fragile Gaza ceasefire, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on Monday the European Union’s commitment to restarting its civilian mission to monitor the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. The move, part of the EU’s broader pledge to support the U.S.-brokered 20-point peace plan spearheaded by President Donald Trump, signals a renewed international effort to stabilize Gaza after two years of devastating conflict. Speaking via the U.S.-based social media platform X from Istanbul, where she attended a preparatory meeting for the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, Kallas described the decision as a critical step toward securing peace in a region scarred by violence.
“The peace plan requires strong international backing to succeed. The EU stands ready to do its part,” Kallas declared. “On Wednesday, it will restart a civilian mission to monitor the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.” The EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) Rafah, dormant since 2007 due to Hamas’s control of Gaza and subsequent border restrictions, will deploy civilian observers to ensure the smooth flow of humanitarian aid and civilian movement while verifying compliance with the ceasefire terms. Kallas emphasized that securing peace in Gaza remains “extraordinarily complex,” but the mission could play an “important role” in sustaining the truce by fostering transparency and trust at the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s primary gateway to the outside world.
The announcement coincided with a historic milestone: the release of the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas, marking the completion of the first phase of Trump’s ceasefire plan. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed early Monday that the handover process began at dawn across three locations in Gaza—Khan Younis, Nuseirat, and Beit Lahia. Red Cross convoys, under tight security provided by international observers, transported the hostages through Gaza’s war-ravaged streets to the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel. The Israeli military, in coordination with the Shin Bet security agency, verified the release of seven hostages in the initial wave, as reported by Israeli Channel 12, with the remaining 13 following by midday. Among those freed were individuals like Noa Argamani, a 26-year-old abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and Almog Meir Jan, a 22-year-old conscript seized near the Gaza border.
In Israel, scenes of jubilation unfolded in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, where families and supporters gathered to celebrate the reunions. Social media posts showed tearful embraces and hostages making emotional calls to loved ones, a stark contrast to the anguish of the past 731 days. In parallel, Israel began releasing 1,968 Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile figures like Marwan Barghouti, a Fatah leader convicted during the Second Intifada. Buses carrying the freed Palestinians arrived in Ramallah to crowds chanting for unity, while others crossed into Gaza via Rafah, where Egyptian authorities facilitated their entry. The prisoner-hostage swap, a cornerstone of Trump’s plan, was mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner playing pivotal roles in the negotiations.
Trump’s 20-point plan, unveiled on September 29, 2025, outlines a phased approach to ending the Gaza conflict, which has claimed over 67,600 Palestinian lives—mostly women and children—and 1,200 Israelis since Hamas’s October 2023 attack. The first phase, effective from Friday, includes the full release of Israeli hostages, the prisoner exchange, and the establishment of humanitarian aid corridors. Phase two envisions the creation of a new Gaza governing body—explicitly excluding Hamas—alongside the deployment of a multinational force and Hamas’s disarmament. The final phase focuses on reconstruction, with Trump pledging a U.S.-led coalition to rebuild Gaza’s shattered infrastructure, from hospitals to schools, at an estimated cost of $20 billion. Speaking at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, which he co-chaired with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Trump called the hostage release a “major success for diplomacy” and credited regional mediators for their persistence.
The Sharm el-Sheikh summit, attended by over 20 world leaders including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II, aimed to solidify international support for the ceasefire. Kallas, representing the EU alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, hailed Trump’s role in brokering the deal. “Today marks a rare moment of hope in the Middle East,” she said on X. “President Trump made this breakthrough possible.” The summit’s agenda included endorsing the ceasefire’s principles, mobilizing aid, and addressing regional spillover, such as Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. A signing ceremony later today will formalize commitments to open aid corridors and begin clearing Gaza’s rubble, with the U.N. tasked with overseeing distribution through agencies like UNRWA.
The EU’s decision to revive EUBAM Rafah reflects its desire to reclaim a visible role in Middle East peace efforts. Originally launched in 2005 to monitor Rafah after Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the mission was suspended when Hamas seized control, rendering the crossing a flashpoint. The reactivated mission will involve 50–70 unarmed EU personnel, including border experts and human rights monitors, drawn from member states like Germany, France, and Poland. Stationed on both sides of the crossing, they will work alongside Egyptian and Palestinian officials to ensure compliance with the ceasefire’s terms, such as unrestricted humanitarian access and the prevention of weapons smuggling. The EU has allocated €15 million for the mission’s initial phase, with plans to expand its scope if the ceasefire holds.
Challenges abound, however. Rafah remains a volatile choke point, with Israeli forces still controlling parts of the Gaza side and Hamas fighters reportedly redeploying to assert influence. Egyptian mediators have warned that any delay in opening aid corridors could destabilize the truce. In Gaza, 2.3 million residents face dire conditions: 85% are displaced, and 70% of homes are uninhabitable. The World Health Organization reported that only 12 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain partially functional, with 700,000 children at risk of malnutrition. Aid trucks queued at Rafah face rigorous inspections, delaying deliveries of food, water, and medical supplies. Kallas acknowledged these complexities, noting that the EU mission aims to “build confidence” among all parties by ensuring transparency.
Beyond Rafah, the summit addressed broader regional dynamics. Discussions included strengthening Yemen’s truce to curb Houthi disruptions and advancing Saudi-Israeli normalization, a Trump priority. Guterres called the summit a “critical opportunity” to end the “tragic conflict,” while Starmer pledged £100 million in U.K. aid for Gaza’s children. However, tensions persist: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, absent from the summit due to Simchat Torah, has rejected any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza’s governance, while Hamas demands a full Israeli withdrawal before disarmament talks. Reports of internal Hamas executions to maintain control have raised fears of factional violence, complicating phase two’s governance plans.
From Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov offered cautious support, urging Trump and regional leaders to ensure the ceasefire’s implementation while warning against altering its “fragile formulations.” Lavrov stressed that a Palestinian state, based on U.N. resolutions, is essential to prevent extremism, aligning with Arab leaders’ calls for a two-state solution. Russia’s readiness to facilitate, without imposing itself, underscores its balancing act between supporting the U.S.-led plan and maintaining ties with Iran and Syria.
As the Sharm el-Sheikh summit concludes, the EU’s Rafah mission represents a tangible step toward stabilizing Gaza. Yet, with Israeli forces still holding half the strip and Hamas retaining significant arsenals, the ceasefire’s durability hinges on swift progress in phase two. For Gaza’s residents, trudging through rubble to salvage homes, the EU’s monitors and Trump’s plan offer a glimmer of hope—but only sustained international commitment, as Kallas emphasized, can transform this “rare moment” into lasting peace.
