Israel denies ceasefire in southern Gaza, says no plans to open Rafah border crossing

Israel has denied reports that it has agreed to any ceasefire for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip and also said it has no plans to open the Rafah border crossing. Earlier, a report by Reuters quoted two Egyptian security officials saying Israel, Egypt and the US have agreed to halt fire from 0600 GMT (11:30 am IST). Denying the report that it has agreed to a ceasefire in southern Gaza to allow the Rafah border crossing to open to let aid into the Strip, a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said: “At the moment there is no ceasefire for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip and the exit of foreigners." No plans to open Rafah border crossing The Israeli prime minister’s office has also denied there are any arrangements for the opening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. “At the moment there is neither a ceasefire nor humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip in return for the exit of foreigners,” a report by CNN quoted Israel’s PMO as saying. Meanwhile, Hamas also said it has not received any confirmation from Egypt about the possible opening of the Rafah border crossing. In a statement, the Palestinian terrorist group said: “Until this moment, we have not received any contacts or confirmations from the Egyptian authorities regarding the intention to open the Rafah crossing today. All the information being circulated in this regard is attributed to Israeli media outlets." “We anticipate that the situation at the Rafah crossing will remain fluid and unpredictable and it is unclear whether, or for how long, travelers will be permitted to transit the crossing,” the embassy statement said. Importance of Rafah crossing The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is crucial as it is the only remaining outlet for supplies. However, it has been closed for much of the past week, with neither Gazans nor foreign nationals able to cross. Vital humanitarian supplies for people in Gaza have been piling up on the Egyptian side of the border. With inputs from agencies