Oct 16, 2023 at 8:20 AM Update: an hour ago
The United States, Israel and Egypt are said to have reached an agreement on a ceasefire in the south of the Gaza Strip. This is what Egyptian sources told the news agency Reuters. The truce should coincide with the reopening of the Rafah border post. But Israel and Hamas deny the report.
The sources say the border crossing will remain open until 4 p.m. (Dutch time). The ceasefire is also expected to last several hours, but it is still unclear exactly when it will end.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denies that a ceasefire has been agreed. The report that the border post would be reopened for people with a foreign passport is also contradicted.
Hamas also says it cannot confirm reports of a humanitarian truce. The American embassy in Israel says that the situation at the Rafah border post is still unclear.
Rafah, the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, was closed recently due to the flare-up of violence between Hamas and Israel. NBC News previously reported that the border post would be reopened. The Gaza Strip, the coastal area with approximately two million inhabitants, borders only Israel and Egypt.
Despite the uncertainty, hundreds of people have gathered at the border crossing, news channel Al Jazeera reports. They carry suitcases, among other things, while the Rafah border post is currently closed.
2023-10-16 08:16:45
#Israel #denies #opening #border #crossing #ceasefire #South #Gaza #Gaza #conflict
