Israel in contact with Egypt over the Rafah crossing… reopening to take place at a later stage
On Thursday, Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an agency affiliated with the Israeli army, announced that preparations are ongoing with Egypt to reopen the Rafah border crossing for the movement of people, though the reopening date will be announced at a later stage.
Israel had earlier threatened to keep the crossing closed and reduce aid to the Palestinian enclave, accusing Hamas of delaying the return of the bodies of dead hostages.
This situation underscores the challenges facing the ceasefire that ended a devastating two-year war and led to the release of all surviving hostages held by the movement.
The unit overseeing humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza stated that assistance continues to enter the enclave through the Kerem Shalom (Karm Abu Salem) crossing with Israel and through other entry points.
In a statement quoted by Reuters, COGAT clarified: “It should be emphasized that humanitarian aid will not pass through the Rafah crossing. This has not been agreed upon at any stage.”
Two sources told Reuters on Wednesday that the Rafah crossing was expected to reopen for the movement of people on Thursday.
Two key elements remain to be implemented in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement: the handover of all deceased hostages and the reopening of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, along with the unrestricted and large-scale entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Who will manage the crossing?
On Wednesday, Israel’s Channel 14 — which is close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — reported that “both the political and security leaderships in Israel have confirmed that the entity managing the Rafah crossing will be a local Palestinian force from Gaza approved by the Israeli security establishment.”
The report added that “Israeli political and security authorities do not define this force as belonging to the Palestinian Authority, but they acknowledge that those operating the crossing are local Palestinians vetted for security clearance — meaning that a Gazan leaving the Strip will meet another Gazan at the crossing.”
However, the channel also quoted senior Palestinian Authority officials saying that “a Palestinian police task force” from Gaza, reportedly loyal to the Palestinian Authority and its president Mahmoud Abbas, would take charge of operations at the crossing.
A senior Palestinian official told the channel: “This force is already present in Gaza and ready to deploy at any moment to carry out its mission.”
According to Channel 14, “regardless of whether the force is officially part of the Palestinian police, Israeli political and security officials — in coordination with their counterparts in Ramallah — agree that those currently managing the crossing are Palestinians from Gaza, working alongside a European Union mission.”
The channel further noted that “Israel insists that all procedures are conducted under its full supervision. It maintains complete control over everything occurring at the crossing: even the lists of people leaving Gaza come from the Egyptian side but must be approved by Israel. The gate will not be opened without final Israeli authorization and verification of each individual’s identity.”
If confirmed, this would mirror the mechanism implemented earlier this year, in which a local Palestinian force from Gaza operated under European Union supervision with the approval of the Palestinian Authority but without wearing its official uniform.
