Israel's military aid agency, COGAT, said on Thursday that preparations are underway with Egypt to open the main Rafah border crossing with Gaza to the movement of people, with a date to be announced later.
Israel has previously warned it could keep the Rafah crossing closed and reduce aid deliveries to the Palestinian enclave because it said Hamas was slow to return the bodies of dead hostages, underscoring the risks to a ceasefire that ended two years of devastating war and resulted in the release of all living hostages held by Hamas.
COGAT, the Israeli military branch that oversees aid flows into the Gaza Strip, said humanitarian aid was still entering the territory through the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, as well as other crossings.
"It should be emphasized that humanitarian aid will not pass through the Rafah crossing. This was never agreed at any stage," the COGAT statement sent to Reuters added.
Two sources told Reuters on Wednesday that the Rafah crossing was expected to open to people on Thursday.
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