Gaza War Will End Only After Ending Of Phase 2 Of Ceasefire Deal, Disarming Of Hamas: Netanyahu

Last Updated:October 19, 2025, 01:20 IST

Netanyahu says Gaza war will end after ceasefire phase two ends, including Hamas disarmament; Rafah crossing reopening depends on Hamas returning deceased hostages.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. (AFP photo)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday announced that the Gaza war will end only after phase two of ceasefire deal completes, including disarming of Hamas.

This comes hours after Israel announced that the Rafah crossing, between Egypt and Gaza border, would “remain closed until further notice".

“The crossing’s opening will be considered based on the manner in which Hamas fulfils its part in returning the deceased hostages and implementing the agreed-upon framework," Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

Earlier both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo announced that Rafah crossing will reopen on Monday.

The Rafah crossing had been closed since May 2024. The reopening of the crossing will allow Palestinians residing in Egypt to return to Gaza.

According to Reuters, the crossing was shut to aid after Israeli forces seized the Gaza side in May 2024, but was briefly reopened in early 2025 during a short-lived ceasefire between the two sides.

Israel on Friday received the remains of another hostage from Gaza, the Prime Minister’s Office said, following a handover by Hamas. The militant group has been using bulldozers to recover bodies from the rubble in the war-torn enclave as part of efforts to uphold the ceasefire.

The transfer of hostages’ remains, mandated under the ceasefire agreement, has been a major point of contention, alongside aid deliveries, the reopening of Gaza’s border crossings, and reconstruction plans, all part of an internationally supported effort to end two years of devastating conflict in the region.

While much focus has been on the handover of hostages’ remains, Hamas has urged mediators to increase the flow of aid into Gaza, expedite the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and start reconstruction.

It has also said work should ‘start immediately’ to set up a committee of Palestinian independents who will run Gaza and called for Israeli troops to continue pulling back from agreed-upon areas.

News world Gaza War Will End Only After Ending Of Phase 2 Of Ceasefire Deal, Disarming Of Hamas: Netanyahu

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