Occupation forces carried out raids on Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, under the pretext of responding to a ceasefire violation, according to Israeli channel Channel 14.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt would remain closed until further notice, and that its reopening would depend on the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas handing over the bodies of the deceased hostages. Meanwhile, both sides continued to accuse each other of violating the ceasefire agreement.
Netanyahu’s statement came after the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo announced the reopening of the Rafah crossing from Monday “in order to allow Palestinians residing in the Arab Republic of Egypt and wishing to return to the Gaza Strip to travel.”
For several days, the Israeli government and the Hamas movement have exchanged accusations of violation of the ceasefire agreement, negotiated with the mediation of the United States.
The US State Department said late Saturday that it had received “credible information indicating an imminent violation of the ceasefire agreement by Hamas against the residents of Gaza.”
He added that the planned attack on Palestinian civilians would constitute “a direct and serious violation of the ceasefire agreement.”
