There is "no instruction" to open the Erez Border Crossing for the transfer of goods into the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said in a joint statement released on Thursday afternoon.
"Israel's policy in Gaza is clear and has not changed. There will be no reconstruction before the disarmament of the Hamas terrorist organization and the complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip," Netanyahu and Katz said.
This follows reports in Israeli media of plans to reopen the border crossing from September 1.
There are preparations to open the crossing on September 1, but it still requires final approval, sources from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
The Otef Israel Forum reacted to Netanyahu and Katz's statement, demanding that they "stop misleading the public."
"It is impossible that only yesterday evening the deputy ambassador to the UN declared that Israel is preparing to open the crossing, specified the date and thanked for the generous donation of the inspection machine that Germany donated - and on the other hand issued a statement from the spokeswoman that they will not open the Erez crossing," the forum said.
"Residents of the Gaza border communities demand actions, not words," the forum added.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
This is a developing story.