From the Liveblog of
Sunday, August 18, 2024
Israel said to demand international presence at Rafah border crossing
The IDF has presented Israel’s political leaders with various options for solving the issue of control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, Channel 12 news reports.
These include maintaining an IDF presence all along the 14-kilometer border route, withdrawing but with the right to return whenever needed, and withdrawing but with ongoing coordination with the Egyptians.
It has also suggested various “technological” solutions to prevent Hamas being able to smuggle weaponry under the border, the report says.
The report says Israel is also insisting that there be an international presence at the Rafah border crossing, separating between the Gazan and Egyptian sides of the crossing. This is because while Hamas has used tunnels beneath the border, “the vast majority” of its arms were brought into Gaza at the Rafah border crossing itself.
Channel 12 quotes Arab media reports claiming that in the US “bridging proposal” conveyed to Israel and Hamas on Friday, it is stated that the Palestinian Authority would run the Rafah border crossing, with remote Israeli oversight.
