The crossing between Egypt and Gaza at Rafah, which has served as a critical lifeline into the enclave for decades, was closed by Israel in May 2024.

Since seizing control of the border area, in breach of its 1979 peace agreement with Egypt, Israel has been digging in in the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-km (8.7-mile) strip of land along the boundary between Egypt and Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasised the importance of remaining in the corridor, despite the illegality.

According to Sanad, the images, taken between January 19 and 21, show the Israeli army to have built sand fortifications across the Rafah crossing.

Additionally, the agency said, a new military outpost has been established just to the north of the crossing.

The army has also constructed a 1.7 km (1.1-mile) road surrounding the crossing, running parallel to the sand fortifications.

Israeli forces have also kept thousands of Rafah residents from their homes, Israeli military vehicles shooting at dozens of people trying to go home, injuring and killing them.

Israel, in essence, is constructing “a buffer zone that allows you to push any kind of fighters or, in technical terms, any hostile within an otherwise friendly environment away from you”, Palestinian defence analyst Hamze Attar stated.

As part of the ceasefire, which began on January 19, Israel agreed to reduce its forces in the area before completely withdrawing its troops by the 50th day of the agreement.

However, analysis carried out on satellite images taken between January 19 and February 1 shows the Israeli army has continued construction in the area, demolishing and bulldozing 64 buildings within the city of Rafah, specifically in the as-Salam, Idari, and Tel Zaarab neighbourhoods.

The demolitions occurred only 700 metres (766 yards) from the Egyptian border. At the same time, Sanad also identified at least six homes razed in Tal as-Sultan, west of Rafah, a little more than 750 metres (820 yards) from the Egyptian border.

“This is a war crime because they are destroying residential houses,” Attar said, referring to the fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the destruction of private property.

Meanwhile, Munir al-Bursh, director-general of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, noted on Tuesday that Israeli attacks, unexploded ordnance, or fatal injuries sustained earlier have killed 118 people since the ceasefire agreement took effect.

In addition to military breaches of the ceasefire, Israel has not allowed in sufficient amounts of essential humanitarian aid, such as food, fuel, tents, and emergency shelters.

Rafah Mayor Ahmed al-Sufi said most of the city’s residents remain displaced, with an estimated 200,000 people sheltering in the al-Mawasi Khan Younis area and other locations across Gaza, unable to come home.

According to him, initial estimates indicate that 90 percent of Rafah’s homes have been damaged, with approximately 52,000 units suffering various degrees of destruction.

In return, Israel began returning 369 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails on Saturday, most without any charges or convictions. It is the largest number of Palestinians to be freed since the beginning of the truce.

Footage showed a busload of Palestinian prisoners from Ofer Prison arriving in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, where they were met by relatives and cheering supporters. More buses full of Palestinians pulled out of an Israeli prison in the Negev desert heading towards Gaza.

At least four of those freed were immediately brought to a hospital for treatment. Among the most prominent to be released is Ahmed Barghouti, 48, a close aide of iconic Palestinian political figure Marwan Barghouti.

Most of the prisoners were arrested in Gaza and will be sent back to the besieged enclave. About 10 will be released in the occupied West Bank, one in occupied East Jerusalem, with the others being sent to Egypt and later to other countries that will accept them.

The three captives in Gaza – identified as American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, Russian-Israeli Alexander Sasha Trufanov, and Argentinian-Israeli Yair Horn – were freed to members of the International Committee of the Red Cross during a brief ceremony in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis.

All three were among those taken by Hamas following its October 7 attack on southern Israel.

Dekel-Chen, Trufanov and Horn were seen carrying certificates for their release and maps of Palestine. They were transported back to Israel for medical examinations before reuniting with their families.

A crowd gathered in Tel Aviv’s “Hostages Square” to watch the exchange, with many carrying Israeli flags and posters with messages including “Sorry and welcome back” and “Complete the ceasefire.”

With Saturday’s handover, the number of captives released by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad has reached 25 since the ceasefire began on January 19.

Dozens of armed Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters guarded the square where the handover took place. Hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including women, children and the elderly, gathered behind the security cordon trying to witness the release.

Hamas issued a statement after the release stating it was “a renewed message” to Israel.

“The release of the sixth batch of enemy prisoners confirms there is no way to free them except through negotiations and by adhering to the requirements of the ceasefire agreement,” the group announced.