Netanyahu and Katz Deny Order to Reopen Erez Crossing

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday afternoon that no instruction had been issued to reopen the Erez Crossing to goods traffic. In their joint statement, the two ministers said Israel's policy in Gaza has not changed. They reiterated that reconstruction in the Strip will not begin before Hamas is disarmed and Gaza is fully demilitarized. Their clarification keeps both conditions, the removal of Hamas's weapons and full territorial demilitarization, as Israel's stated prerequisites for reconstruction.