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UPDATE: Hamas spokesman Izzat Al-Resheq denied the information about the opening of the Rafah checkpoint on the border of the Gaza Strip and Egypt in his comment to Reuters.
Israel also denied a cease-fire for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the departure of foreigners from the Gaza Strip across the southern border. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that “at the moment” the ceasefire is not in effect, The Times of Israel reports.
Al Arabiya reported that a five-hour ceasefire has been introduced in the southern regions of the Gaza Strip. Some other media confirmed the reports, citing officials on the both sides, which reportedly agreed to stop fighting do that civilians could evacuate through the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Palestinian territory.
The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Palestinian enclave was reportedly due to open at 9 a.m. local time. Any local sources are yet to confirm if the ceasefire entered its force.
The ceasefire is aimed at allowing foreign citizens to leave the enclave, and also to allow humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza. According to Al Arabiya, there are at least 100 trucks with aid waiting for the opening of the humanitarian corridor at the Rafah checkpoint on the border between Gaza and Egypt.
According to the latest data, as a result of Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, 2,670 people were killed, about 9,600 others were wounded, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
According to Israeli officials, Hamas attacks killed 1,400 people, about 3,500 other were wounded.
The UN Secretary General calls on Israel to immediately provide humanitarian access to Gaza, and Hamas to release the hostages immediately and without preconditions.
Israel’s permanent representative to the UN claimed that Israel does not intend to occupy the Gaza Strip, but the country is ready to do everything to destroy Hamas, since Israel “is fighting for its survival.”
“We will have to do everything possible to destroy them,” the ambassador said in an interview with CNN.
Israeli representative referred to the words of US President Joe Biden, who believes that the only way in this situation is the destruction of Hamas. Hamas must be destroyed, but the state of Palestine must exist, Joe Biden concluded.
Last Sunday, the Israeli Army reported that it had deployed its units throughout the country and was ready for further stages of the operation in the Gaza Strip. Tel Aviv is expected to launch a “complex attack from the air, sea and land” in the coming days.
