The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on October 18 condemned Israel's decision to continue closing the Rafah port, saying it violated the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.On the same day, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stressed that the conflict in the Gaza Strip would end only after Hamas disarmament and the de-militarization of the Gaza Strip.

Violation of agreement

Hamas issued a statement on the evening of 18th condemning the Israeli decision to continue to close Rafah Border Crossing. The statement pointed out that Israel's decision "is a blatant violation of the terms of the ceasefire agreement and a betrayal of the commitments made by the mediator and the guarantor". The statement warned that the continuous closure of ports, preventing the passage of the wounded and patients, and obstructing the import of search and rescue equipment would lead to "delays in the search and transfer of remains".

The statement stressed that since the agreement came into force, Israel has ¡°accumulated 47 violations of the agreement, resulting in 38 deaths and 143 injuries¡±, which ¡°reaffirmed Israel¡¯s intention to aggressively and its continued policy of blockade of more than 2 million Gazans.¡±

Hamas urged the mediator and guarantor to "take urgent action to put pressure on Israel to immediately open Rafah Border Crossing, force it to fulfill all terms of the agreement, and stop crimes against the people of Gaza."

The Palestinian Embassy in Egypt said earlier on October 18 that, in coordination with Egyptian authorities, the Rafah Gate would be reopened on October 20 to facilitate passage for Palestinians currently living in Egypt and wanting to return to Gaza.

Palestinian sources confirmed that the Palestinian embassy in Egypt, in coordination with the Egyptian government and international parties, has determined the procedures for the return of Palestinians from Egypt and other places to the Gaza Strip, prioritizing the passage of the wounded, and the Israeli army will then be re-deployed within a mile range around the port.

However, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office issued a statement later that day, saying that whether the Rafah port will be reopened depends on whether Hamas can hand over the remains of all detainees. The Rafah port will remain closed "until further notice."

At the southern end of the Gaza Strip, which connects the Egyptian border, the Rafah Port is the main route for international humanitarian aid to Gaza. Under the first phase of Gaza ceasefire agreement, Rafah Port should be reopened on the 15th, but the Israeli government decided on the 14th to suspend the reopening of Rafah Port due to Hamas¡¯ failure to deliver the remains of all detainees in time.

Seeking a re-election

Netanyahu said in an Israeli TV show on November 18 that he will participate in the Israeli general election scheduled for November 2026 and seek a re-election.

According to the Times of Israel, when Netanyahu was asked on television that night whether he expected to win the election, he answered in the affirmative.

When talking about the conflict in the Gaza Strip, he said that the conflict would be "completely ended" after all provisions of the ceasefire agreement were implemented. He stressed that the fighting will end only after Hamas disarms and the Gaza Strip is demilitarized.

release the body

According to multiple Israeli media reports, the International Committee of the Red Cross received two coffins containing the bodies of Israeli detainees from Hamas in the southern Gaza Strip earlier on the 18th, and then handed them over to the Israeli army. The two bodies will be sent to a forensic institute in Tel Aviv for identification.

To date, Hamas has handed over 13 bodies to Israel, saying one of them was not an Israeli detainee. Under the first phase of Gaza ceasefire agreement, Israel and Hamas began exchanges on the 13th. Hamas released two groups of 20 detainees on the same day and Israel released 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

Hamas recently reiterated that it is still committed to implementing the ceasefire agreement, but it will take some time to hand over all the bodies. The reason is that some bodies are buried in tunnels destroyed by the Israeli army and in the ruins of buildings bombed by the Israeli army. To find these remains, Israel must allow heavy machinery and excavation equipment to enter the Gaza Strip. (Reporter: Zhao Weihong, Chen Junqing, Feng Guorui, Zhang Jian, Yao Bing)