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Israel said on Monday that no ceasefire had been implemented in southern Gaza Strip, even though security sources in Egypt said a deal had been reached to allow foreigners out of the besieged Palestinian enclave and aid to be brought in.
The Xinhua correspondent at Rafah confirmed that the border point, the only crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, remains closed, with no signs of reopening any time soon.
The bombardment of Hamas-ruled Gaza continued overnight, with residents saying it was the heaviest pounding yet in nine days of conflict.
As a humanitarian crisis gripped Gaza, two Egyptian security sources said Israel had agreed to a halt its bombardment of southern Gaza. The Egyptian-controlled Rafah border crossing was expected to reopen to allow foreign passport holders to leave, they said.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement: “There is currently no truce and humanitarian aid in Gaza in exchange for getting foreigners out.”
The Israeli military had no comment, and officials from Hamas did not confirm any ceasefire.
Diplomatic efforts have been intensifying to get aid into the enclave, which has been under intense Israeli bombing since the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas fighters that killed 1,300 people.
Israel is preparing a ground invasion to destroy Hamas.
Authorities in Gaza said at least 2,750 people had so far been killed by the Israeli strikes, a quarter of them children, and nearly 10,000 wounded. Another 1,000 people were missing and believed to be under rubble.
Hundreds of tonnes of aid from several countries have been held up in Egypt for days pending a deal for its safe delivery to Gaza and the evacuation of some foreign passport holders through the Rafah crossing.
Egypt has said bombardment had rendered the crossing inoperable.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday called for rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza and for the release of hostages kept by Hamas.
“In this dramatic moment, as we are on the verge of the abyss in the Middle East, it is my duty as secretary-general of the United Nations to make two strong humanitarian appeals,” he said in a statement.
China on Monday suggested its nationals in Israel return to their home country as soon as possible. Speaking at a daily press briefing, ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China is carefully studying and evaluating the security situation in Palestine and Israel and closely following the opening of local air and land routes.
(With input from agencies)
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