This satellite photo shows trucks lined up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip, on Oct. 16.
The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will reopen Monday for people returning to Gaza, the Palestinian embassy in Egypt said Saturday, but the territory’s sole gateway to the outside world will remain closed to people trying to leave.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s office issued a statement within minutes, saying that the Rafah crossing wouldn’t reopen “until further notice,” adding that it would depend on how Hamas fulfills its role in returning all the bodies of the dead hostages.
Israel’s foreign ministry on Thursday had said that the crossing would likely reopen Sunday – another step in the fragile ceasefire.
The Rafah crossi