The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that the Rafah crossing would reopen only after Hamas hands over the bodies of all deceased hostages still held in Gaza.
"Prime Minister Netanyahu has directed that the Rafah crossing remain closed until further notice," the statement read.
"Its reopening will be considered based on how Hamas fulfills its obligations to return the hostages and the bodies of the deceased and to implement the agreed-upon terms" of the ceasefire, the office added.
Earlier on Saturday, the Palestinian embassy in Cairo announced that the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt would reopen on Monday to allow Palestinians living in Egypt to return to Gaza.
On Thursday, Israeli authorities said that when the crossing reopens, it would permit only the movement of people, not the passage of humanitarian aid.
Israel's army took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing on May 7 last year, claiming the facility had been "used for terrorist purposes" and expressing strong suspicions that it was also being used to smuggle weapons.
Following the takeover, all access through the crossing was suspended, including that of United Nations personnel.
The crossing briefly reopened during the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that took effect on January 19, 2025.
AFP
Comments