The Rafah crossing remains closed, Israel: "We will reopen it later, but no aid will come from there for now."

An Egyptian source, quoted by the Saudi daily Asharq al Awsat, said that negotiations between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement "have not yet begun in practice, but only in theory, due to difficulties on the ground and the clear Israeli exploitation of certain loopholes," including the failure to return all the hostages' bodies.

The Rafah crossing remained closed all day yesterday , for the second consecutive day, contrary to the agreement. Israel had announced its reopening yesterday, after returning four more bodies. But it backtracked again.

The date for the opening of the Rafah crossing into Gaza will be announced "at a later date." The Guardian reports that Israel's military aid agency COGAT said preparations are underway with Egypt to open the Rafah crossing to human transit, but the actual opening date will be announced at a later date. Humanitarian aid will not pass through the Rafah crossing, but will continue to enter the Gaza Strip through other crossings, including Kerem Shalom .

(Unioneonline)