The Palestinian Authority stated this Wednesday (15) that it is prepared to operate the Rafah crossing, which is between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. The Palestinian side of the canal has been under Israeli control since May 2024, operating fundamentally for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the exit of injured people from the enclave.
“We are now ready to engage again and have notified all parties that we are ready to operate the Rafah crossing,” said Mohammad Shtayyeh, special envoy of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has resumed preparations to reopen the crossing following a dispute over the return of the bodies of dead hostages held captive by Hamas. The impasse threatened to derail the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the group, mainly due to the delay in returning the remains and the uncertainty about the whereabouts of some bodies.
Arab countries have been pushing for the Palestinian Authority to have some significant role in Gaza, although the 20-point treaty presented by US President Donald Trump leaves this possibility aside.
The Israeli military branch that oversees the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza said in a statement to Reuters that “the opening date of the crossing for the movement of people will be announced later.”
