Two Egyptian security sources revealed that Cairo rejected an Israeli proposal to coordinate with Tel Aviv to reopen the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and manage its future operations.
According to what was reported by Reuters, officials from the Israeli Internal Security Agency (Shin Bet) presented the plan during a visit to Cairo yesterday, Wednesday.
An Israeli official, who requested anonymity, told the agency that the delegation traveled to Egypt “primarily to discuss matters regarding Rafah in light of recent developments,” but he refused to go into details.
The relationship between Egypt and Israel is witnessing tension after the Israeli incursion into Rafah and control of the crossing.
The Rafah crossing constitutes a major corridor for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and the exit of injured people from the Strip, as the humanitarian crisis worsens and the specter of famine looms.
The two Egyptian security sources said that the Israeli proposal includes a mechanism for how to manage the crossing after the Israeli withdrawal, and they added that Egypt insists that the crossing should be managed by Palestinian authorities only.
In the same context, the American Wall Street Journal quoted Egyptian officials as saying that Egypt had rejected several Israeli requests to coordinate the reopening and management of the Rafah crossing.
The two sources revealed that among the Israeli proposals is a plan to have the Palestinian Authority help manage the crossing.
Cairo and Tel Aviv exchanged accusations this week regarding the closure of the border crossing and the subsequent obstruction of relief efforts.
Egypt says that the only reason for closing the Rafah crossing is the Israeli military operation, and has repeatedly warned that Israel’s goal of the attack is to evacuate Gaza by pushing the Palestinians to flee there.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said a few days ago that “the task of preventing a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip now falls on the shoulders of our Egyptian friends.”
Israeli government spokesman David Mincer said yesterday, Wednesday, that Egypt rejected an Israeli request to open the Rafah crossing to civilians from Gaza who wish to flee the Strip.
In a related context, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi accused Israel of continuing to evade responsibility and efforts made to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
