The Palestinian Broadcasting Authority informed this morning that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled the punitive measures adopted on Tuesday to pressure the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to hand over the bodies of several Israeli citizens.

Although Hamas released the last 20 living Israelis held in Gaza on Monday as part of an exchange, it announced that it would be impossible to return immediately the bodies of 28 others due to the conditions and the destruction of the coastal enclave, and only handed over four.

In response, Israel announced that the Rafah crossing would not open this Wednesday and threatened to cut off vital aid entering the territory, devastated by two years of aggression.

Tensions escalated with Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the Strip this Tuesday, which killed nine people, in clear violation of the cessation of fighting.

abo/iff/oda/rob