Ceasefire Violated Again; Netanyahu Opposes Reopening Rafah Crossing
According to the English section of webangah News Agency, citing Mehr News Agency and Al Jazeera, Benjamin Netanyahu stated yesterday that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will remain closed until further notice. He linked its reopening to Hamas handing over the bodies of captured Israeli soldiers.
Netanyahu’s remarks followed an announcement by the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo stating that from Monday, Rafah would reopen to allow Palestinian residents in Egypt who wish to return to Gaza to travel.
Hamas issued a statement condemning Netanyahu’s decision as a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and ignoring commitments made to mediators and guarantor parties.
The statement added that keeping Rafah closed delays evacuating wounded patients and citizens in both directions.It also hinders entry of specialized equipment needed for searching under rubble for missing persons and prevents expert teams from examining bodies and verifying identities. this obstruction ultimately slows down recovery operations and delivery of remains.
