There is no truce in Gaza, Israel said on Monday, rejecting reports of a brief pause in the fighting to let foreigners escape and aid enter the besieged territory through Egypt.
But the army said it would not target two roads inside Gaza that people could use to move from the north, where a ground invasion may happen, to the south for four hours, from 8:00am to noon.
Some media outlets had reported that Israel, Egypt, and the US had agreed to open the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt for a few hours on Monday as a one-time gesture to evacuate foreign nationals and bring in humanitarian supplies.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied that Egypt and the US had agreed to open the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt for a few hours on Monday as a one-time gesture to evacuate foreign nationals and bring in humanitarian supplies
“There is no ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza in exchange for removing foreigners,” he said
“We are continuing with our operations,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters.
Hamas, the Islamist group that rules Gaza, also dismissed the media reports as “untrue”.
The Israeli military had earlier announced on X, formerly Twitter, that it would spare two roads in Gaza for residents to travel south and avoid a possible ground assault.
“The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) will not attack the designated routes from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X.
“Use this short period of time to move south from the north of the strip and Gaza City for your safety.”
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said he hoped to get aid through Rafah into Gaza to “help those million people who have moved south as well as those who live there already.”
More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel since October 7, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern communities. Israel has responded with air strikes on Gaza, killing around 2,750 Palestinians in the enclave.
The United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees said about one million people have been displaced within Gaza.
Israel has also bombed the southern parts of Gaza in Khan Yunis and Rafah.
