Palestinian source: Israel refuses to open or hand over the Rafah crossing.

Israel has not yet announced a date for opening the Rafah crossing 

               

Palestinian source.. Israel refuses to open or hand over the Rafah crossing.

A Palestinian source said that Israel has so far refused to open the Rafah crossing or hand it over to Palestinian authorities, citing the incompleteness of the first phase of the deal and the failure to hand over the remaining bodies of Israelis held by Hamas. The source confirmed that the Rafah crossing will not open today or in the coming days, noting that opening the crossing is linked to a clear Israeli decision to hand it over and withdraw from it.

In the same context, the source indicated that a delegation will conduct an inspection visit to the crossing to assess the logistical requirements for its operation. The source explained that management of the crossing will be handed over to a joint committee affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, noting that the opening of the crossing and its handover to this committee will be carried out in accordance with the mechanism of the 2005 agreement, which stipulates Palestinian management under the supervision of a European mission and Israeli security oversight.

On Thursday, the Israeli military's Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit said that preparations were underway with Egypt to open the Rafah crossing to the movement of individuals, but that the opening date would be announced at a later stage. 

The IDF unit stressed that "it must be emphasized that no humanitarian aid will pass through the Rafah crossing." It added that "humanitarian aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing and additional crossings."