Egypt has rejected Israeli plans for the 2 countries to run Rafah crossing — sources

Egypt has rejected an Israeli proposal for the two countries to coordinate to reopen the Rafah Border Crossing between Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip, and to manage its future operation, two Egyptian security sources say.

Officials from the Shin Bet security service presented the plan on a visit to Cairo yesterday, amid rising tension between the two countries following Israel’s military advance last week into Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by war have been sheltering.

The Rafah crossing has been a main conduit for humanitarian aid entering Gaza, and an exit point for medical evacuees from the territory. Israel took operational control of the crossing and has said it will not compromise on preventing Hamas from having any future role there.

The Israeli proposal includes a mechanism for how to manage the crossing after an Israeli withdrawal, the security sources say. Egypt insists the crossing should be managed only by Palestinian authorities, they add.

An Israeli official who requests anonymity says the delegation traveled to Egypt “mainly to discuss matters around Rafah, given recent developments,” but declines to elaborate.

Egypt’s foreign press office does not immediately respond to a request for comment.