UPDATE - Netanyahu says Rafah crossing to remain closed ‘until further notice,’ violating Gaza ceasefire deal

UPDATES WITH NETANYAHU STATEMENT ON CROSSING CLOSURE, CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE

By Hussien Elkabany and Rania Abu Shamala

CAIRO/ISTANBUL (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced Saturday evening that the Rafah border crossing will remain closed “until further notice,” in violation of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement posted on the US social media company X, the office said Netanyahu has directed that the Rafah crossing remain closed “until further notice.”

It added that “its opening will be under consideration in accordance with the manner in which Hamas implements its part in return of the deceased hostages and implementation of the agreed upon framework.”

The Rafah crossing had been scheduled to reopen last Wednesday as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on October 10.

Earlier, the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo announced that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip will reopen on Monday to allow Palestinians wishing to return to Gaza to cross.

Since May 2024, the Israeli army has blocked the movement of Palestinians through the Rafah border crossing, the territory’s only window to the outside world that was not controlled by Tel Aviv before the start of the Israeli war in October 2023.

In a statement, the embassy said: “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 established coordination mechanism.”

The embassy also urged Palestinian citizens in Egypt who wish to return to register their information through the designated online application, noting that they will later be informed of the dates and assembly points before moving toward the Rafah crossing, without giving further details.

Hamas released 20 living Israeli hostages and handed over the remains of 11 more captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under the ceasefire agreement.

The deal was reached between Israel and Hamas last week, based on a plan presented by US President Donald Trump. Phase one included the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.

Since October 2023, the Israeli genocidal war has killed 68,116 people and injured 170,200 others, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Saturday.