AhlulBayt News Agency: One of the important outcomes of the session for inking the Board of Peace initiative in Davos forum in Switzerland is the reopening of the Rafah Border Crossing which is one of the key agendas of the Trump-announced board that is designed to run Gaza after war.
In this connection, Ali Sha'ath, the head of Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (PNCAG) in a video message to the Davos summit announced the reopening of the Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt next week.
Also, Nikolai Miladinov, as the executive director of the Peace Council in the Gaza Strip, announced an agreement for reopening of the crossing.
"We are coordinating the logistical aspects for implementation of the agreement to reopen Rafah crossing," said the Bulgarian diplomat.
Channel 12 of Israeli regime on Thursday reported, citing an Israeli security source, that the Israeli security cabinet will discuss reopening of the crossing.
Palestinian sources confirmed Friday in an interview with Haaretz that members of the technocratic committee for Gaza administration are set to enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing this week, aiming to take control of civil affairs in the region by the end of the week. According to official documents related to the Gaza reconstruction plan, under the 20-point scheme proposed by US President Donald Trump, this committee will be responsible for providing "daily public services and urban services" in the area, all under the direct supervision of the so-called Board of Peace headed by Trump.
These statements came after US Ambassador to Israel Mark Huckabee claimed early Thursday morning "we are confident that the Rafah crossing will reopen, and I believe Israel will make this decision soon."
On the other hand, a video released online on January 16 showed Steve Witkoff, the US envoy to the Middle East, stating at a press conference in Florida that in response to a question about reopening the Rafah crossing. "We must open it. We have promised."
The Rafah crossing holds strategic significance for the people of Gaza as it represents the only land gate connecting the enclave to the outside world (apart from the occupied territories) and serves as the primary route for delivering international humanitarian aid to its residents. This crossing has been largely inactive in recent months due to obstruction and collective punishment policies imposed by the Israeli occupation.
Since May 2024, after the Israeli regime took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing, it has been effectively closed. Despite promises from the parties involved in the ceasefire agreement to reopen it for humanitarian aid, reports from international organizations and the UN indicate that the flow of vital supplies, including fuel, food, medicine, and equipment, has been limited to a trickle, far below what is needed in the months following the Sharm El Sheikh agreement.
Israeli policy, from opposition to opportunism
Despite positive stances and optimism about reopening the Rafah crossing, Haaretz has said that Tel Aviv tied the reopening to returning the body of the last Israeli prisoner held by Hamas and so the Israeli government tries to prevent entry of the members of the Palestinian technocratic committee for administrative of Gaza.
This report by the Israeli newspaper comes as other Israeli sources talk about growing Israeli disagreement with the US over the Board of Peace and Turkish and Qatari presence in the administration of Gaza. Reports suggest that the Israeli security cabinet has decided to block reopening of the crossing in show of disagreement with Trump.
On January 14, the Ma'ariv newspaper reported that Israeli officials believe that reopening and fully activating the Rafah crossing would change the rules of the game, leading to increased movement and creating security gaps that, according to them, would facilitate the smuggling of weapons from Egypt’s Sinai into the Gaza Strip.
These sources claimed that even if oversight mechanisms were established, it would not be possible to conduct complete and thorough inspections. They asserted that the long-term opening of the Rafah crossing could heighten the likelihood of Hamas rearming.
Tel Aviv holds that the reopening of Rafah would only be feasible for Egypt if an effective international force oversees the management of the Gaza Strip and maintains field control. However, the Israeli regime remains skeptical about forming a multinational force beyond a symbolic presence, noting that no country has rushed to send troops to Gaza thus far.
Ma'ariv further reported that the Rafah crossing issue is seen as part of broader security and political maneuvers related to the post-war scenario. Israel considers the disarmament of Hamas as a central objective, asserting that without achieving this goal, the process of withdrawing its forces from the occupied areas in Gaza will not progress.
However, media sources reported that contrary to Israel's public statements, arrangements regarding the operation of the Rafah crossing have been finalized. It is expected that this crossing will be opened within 48 hours after official confirmation as part of the second phase of agreements reached with the president.
According to details, the main crossing will be managed by the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) team along with members of the Palestinian Authority's public intelligence service. EUBAM is a civilian mission of the European Union aimed at supporting local authorities in improving their border management and security.
This development has sparked significant discord within Netanyahu's cabinet. Political sources reported that several cabinet ministers, including Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich and Settlement Minister Orit Strook, have openly expressed their opposition to the Palestinian Authority's involvement in managing the Rafah crossing.
During the cabinet debate, Strook demanded that the Palestinian Authority's signature be on no document regarding the crossing. So, it was decided that the travelers crossing Rafah will receive a document with their passports that carries no reference of the Palestinian Authority.
Earlier, KAN news reported that Tel Aviv will establish a new crossing near Rafah, possible to be called Rafah 2, and will directly run it.
According to KAN, EUBAM will present to Israel the list of people entering Gaza and will be scrutinized by Israel's Shin Bet.
In addition, a remote control process has been established in Israel, including facial recognition and ID verification, without the direct presence of Israelis at the crossing. Reuters, citing sources in the occupied territories, reported that Israel seeks to ensure that the number of Gaza residents allowed to return to the Strip will be lower than the number of those leaving through the Rafah crossing once it opens. This request essentially indicates a continuation of the policy of displacing the people of Gaza in a different form and informally.
Al Jazeera also reported in mid-December that the Coordinator of Government Activities in the [ Occupied] Territories (COGAT), the Israeli government unit responsible for coordinating activities in the Palestinian territories, stated in a post on platform X that "under the ceasefire agreement and guidance from political leadership, the Rafah crossing will exclusively open in the coming days for residents of the Gaza Strip to travel to Egypt."
Meanwhile, recent positions from Egypt reflect Cairo's concerns about the implementation of such a scenario. On December 14, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty responded to provocative statements from Israeli officials regarding the unilateral opening of the Rafah crossing for Palestinians' exit. He emphasized the necessity of opening the crossing in both directions and noted, referring to remarks by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, that the Rafah crossing cannot be used as a gateway for forced migration, and Egypt will never participate in the injustice inflicted upon the Palestinian people.
As a key player in negotiations related to Gaza, Egypt has consistently played a mediating role. However, many Egyptians have long been concerned that the ultimate aim of the Israeli regime in the Gaza war is to pursue a plan for the mass displacement of Palestinians into Egyptian territory.
This possibility was raised seriously since the first days of war on Gaza. In the first weeks of war, the official spokesman for the Israeli army announced that the Palestinians should migrate to Egypt. The comments drew the ire of the Cairo officials who responded strongly.
Egyptian foreign ministry has repeatedly announced in its statements that Cairo defends the rights of Palestinian nation and condemns any unilateral move to evacuate Gaza.
In his several speeches, el-Sisi reiterated opposition to the forced relocation of Gazans to the Egyptian territory. In 2023, he said: "Egypt will not open the borders in protection of its borders and any attempt for evacuation of Gaza people to the Sinai Desert is unacceptable." During the war, around 100,000 Palestinians fled the genocidal campaign to Egypt.
Also, 8 Palestinian and Arab countries, which are partners to the Sharm El-Sheikh ceasefire agreement, in a common statement voiced rejection of any attempt for forced migration of the Palestinians from their land and called for full commitment to Trump's initiative terms including reopening Rafah crossing from both sides, guaranteeing the freedom of movement of people, and preventing forcing of Gaza people into leaving their lands.
Rafah cross, Netanyahu’s political pressure instrument
As the Netanyahu cabinet openly refuses to fulfill the regime’s commitment to completely withdraw its military from Gaza despite the release of Israeli prisoners and the return of deceased prisoners, it appears that hoping for the full reopening of the Rafah border is also a form of wishful thinking, as Tel Aviv essentially views this crossing as one of its main tools to exert pressure on Hamas and the residents of Gaza.
The attacks on Gaza and the violation of the ceasefire by Israel have continued unceasingly since the first day of the agreement, demonstrating its fragility and Israel's non-compliance with the terms of the agreement.
In this context, Yedioth Ahronoth reported on January 20 that the Israeli security cabinet decided not to reopen the Rafah crossing because the presence of representatives from Turkey and Qatar in the Gaza executive council was not accounted for in the initial agreements between Tel Aviv and Washington.
Additionally, Mustafa Barghouti, Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, stated in an interview with TRT Arabic on January 22 that Israel is refusing to open the Rafah crossing under the pretext of returning the last Israeli soldier's body, and this issue has become a tool for exerting pressure and suspending commitments.
He pointed out the approach of Netanyahu’s government, adding that the Israeli Prime Minister is seriously attempting to completely sabotage the second phase of the Gaza agreement and hinder its implementation.
Netanyahu and his cabinet aim to maintain a long-term crisis and difficult living conditions for the residents of Gaza, forcing them to accept leaving the enclave. This would create the groundwork for repeating the settlement scenario in the West Bank in Gaza, a goal that is entirely contradictory to the reopening of Rafah and the reconstruction of Gaza based on Trump's plan.
Israel is also seeking a fundamental change to the historic treaty with Egypt regarding the Philadelphi Corridor.
The Philadelphi Corridor, which Palestinians refer to as Salah al-Din Corridor, is a narrow strip of land along the border between Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt and the occupied territories. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south, measuring 14 kilometers in length and 100 meters in width. The Rafah ground crossing is located along this route.
The establishment of this corridor is a significant part of the peace treaty between Egypt and the Israeli regime, signed in 1979, which ended decades of conflict between the two parties.
This agreement resulted in Israel returning the Sinai Peninsula, which it had taken from Egypt during the 1967 war in exchange for accepting a ceasefire, ultimately paving the way for Egypt to recognize Israel under President Anwar Sadat.
Following October 7, 2023 operation by Hamas against Israel, Israeli forces encircled Gaza from all sides, making Philadelphi Corridor as one of the strategic war goals for Tel Aviv. Since the beginning, Israel launched heavy airstrikes on Rafah crossing, to an extent that for several months, aid could not enter through this border gate.
Netanyahu's insistence on maintaining the Philadelphi Corridor reflects an effort to undermine the historical foundations of the agreement with Egypt and, through that lens, to alter the political, legal, and geopolitical rules surrounding the Palestinian issue at both the Arab and international levels. The profound meaning of this in Netanyahu's strategy, and that of his allies, implies a revision of the conditions of the so-called peace with Egypt, revocation of the Palestinian Authority, and a definitive end to the two-state solution.
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