Netanyahu Orders Not to Reopen Rafah Crossing "Until Further Notice"

SadaNews - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered that the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt should not be reopened until further notice, according to a statement from his office on Saturday evening. The statement mentioned that "the reopening will be reconsidered based on Hamas's fulfillment of its commitments regarding the return of the deceased's bodies and the implementation of the agreed proposal." The families of Israeli prisoners expressed their "support" for Netanyahu's decision not to reopen the Rafah crossing, stating in their statement, "However, the government should not rely on mediators but take a firm stance against Hamas, demanding the return of all 18 kidnapped individuals without exception, and activate all available means at its disposal." They added, "The government should announce that it will not continue to implement the agreement until all bodies of the deceased are returned according to Trump's proposal." Netanyahu's decision comes after the Palestinian embassy in Cairo announced on Saturday evening that the Rafah crossing would open on Monday to allow Palestinians in Egypt to return to the Gaza Strip. The embassy stated that "the Rafah border crossing will open starting Monday to enable Palestinians residing in Egypt who wish to return to Gaza to travel according to the existing coordination mechanism." The Palestinian embassy urged its citizens wishing to return to register their data via the designated electronic application, stating that they will be informed of the dates and locations of gathering later in preparation for movement towards the Rafah crossing, without providing additional details.