Netanyahu pours cold water on Gaza’s claims of reopening Rafah crossing

KANIKA SINGH RATHORE,

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This is what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says GazaRafa crossing will remain closed until further notice.

The announcement came shortly after the arrival of the Palestinian Embassy egypt Claimed that the crossing between Gaza and Egypt would reopen on Monday.

“Opening the crossing will be considered based on the manner in which Hamas fulfills its part in returning the deceased hostages and implementing the agreed framework,” Mr Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Saturday.

The crossing has been largely closed since May 2024, except for a brief reopening in early 2025.

The embassy said its reopening would allow Palestinians living in Egypt to return to Gaza.

However, the embassy announcement did not specify whether humanitarian aid would also be allowed to pass through.

Trucks carrying humanitarian aid and fuel stand at a crossing into the Gaza Strip at the Rafah border on the Egyptian side

Trucks carrying humanitarian aid and fuel stand at a crossing into the Gaza Strip at the Rafah border on the Egyptian side ,reuters,

since America’s mediation prevented a devastating two-year warOn average, about 560 metric tons of food enters the Gaza Strip per day.

According to the United Nations World Food Programme, this figure is still far below the scale of need.

The crossing was closed for aid after Israeli forces captured the Gaza Strip in May 2024, but briefly reopened in early 2025. ceasefire,

After two years of bombardment and blockade, there is a desperate need for food, medicine, shelter and other assistance in Gaza. in March, israel Initiated an 11-week blockade of all aid into Gaza, depleting food stocks and causing prices to rise.

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in August, A global hunger monitor announced that famine is spreading in Gaza City North of the enclave.

A doctor in Gaza City takes measurements of a child's arm to check for signs of malnutrition

A doctor in Gaza City takes measurements of a child’s arm to check for signs of malnutrition ,AP,

Israel rejected the findings as false and biased.

Gaza health officials say more than 400 people have died from malnutrition-related causes. Israel says the figures are inflated and that many deaths were caused by other causes.

Israel announced in late July that it was Expands measures to deliver more aid to Gaza,

However, the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing remained closed, meaning the shipments were routed through the Israeli crossing of Kerem Shalom, about three kilometers (two miles) to the south.

Aid workers and truck drivers have complained that they faced numerous obstacles at Kerem Shalom, ranging from rejections for minor packing and paperwork to short hours at Israeli crossings that meant they could bring only a fraction of the needed aid.

Israel denies that it has limited aid to the enclave.

Uk