Netanyahu denies reports of Israeli plan to reopen Erez Crossing into Gaza

Israel will not reopen the Erez Crossing with the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz say, following recent reports that such a move was planned.

Earlier, Hebrew-language media reported that the IDF was gearing up to open the Erez Crossing for the entry of goods into Gaza — not for pedestrian traffic — following pressure from the United States. The reports said the move was approved by the National Security Council, which is overseen by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The reports said that September 1 was the deadline for Israel to open the crossing. Israel’s own Deputy Ambassador to the UN Noa Furman told the Security Council yesterday that a truck scanner donated by Germany was installed at the Erez Crossing.

In a prepared speech, Furman said that the Erez Crossing would reopen as an “additional entry point for goods in September, alongside the Kerem Shalom crossing.”

However, Netanyahu and Katz pour cold water on the move, claiming that “there is no directive to open the Erez Crossing for goods.”

“Israel’s policy in Gaza is clear and has not changed: There will be no reconstruction before the Hamas terror organization is disarmed and the Gaza Strip is fully demilitarized,” they add in a joint statement.

Erez Crossing closed when Hamas launched its October 7, 2023, onslaught, which included an attack on the border crossing. It reopened for aid delivery in May 2024, before closing days later as other routes were used instead.