Israel Considers Letting EU, Palestinians Control Rafah Crossing

Donato Paolo Mancini, Dan Williams, Alberto Nardelli and Jennifer Jacobs
·4-min read

(Bloomberg) -- Israeli officials are considering transferring control of Gaza’s Rafah border crossing to the European Union and Palestinians, according to people familiar with the matter.

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Though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has scorned the idea of Israel ceding the crossing, Israeli officials are in talks with the EU and US about the proposal, the people said. If enacted, it could foreshadow an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas and enable more aid to get into the devastated Palestinian territory, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing the sensitive talks.

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The negotiations underscore the EU’s renewed diplomatic efforts to relieve some pressure on Palestinian civilians and help stop the war. The bloc has for months called for a truce but had little influence over the Israeli government as it tries to destroy Hamas.

Brussels helped run the crossing before 2007, when Hamas took control.

Netanyahu has said that whatever Israel does, Hamas won’t be allowed to retake control of any border areas. His government also insists on Israel’s troops remaining in the vicinity of the crossing and along the Gaza-Egypt border.

After a visit to Rafah on Thursday, Netanyahu said it was “vital” to hold the the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing. The Philadelphi Corridor is the southern portion of Gaza that runs along the border with Egypt.

The prime minister has previously clashed with his generals over the crossing, according to an Israeli official. They are more inclined than Netanyahu — who will have the final say — to reopen it, the official said.

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The crossing linking Gaza and Egypt has become a key source of tension in recent months between Israel and Palestinian authorities, as well as the Egyptian government. It was the main route for aid going into Gaza before Israeli forces took it over from Hamas in early May, since when it’s been shut.

The US, United Nations and Arab states have urged Israel to reopen it to enable more supplies of food, fuel and medicine to get to Palestinian civilians.

White House spokesperson John Kirby on Thursday said he couldn’t confirm specific reports on an emerging accord.

Still, “we want to see that crossing back open,” he said. “We want to see it open in a sustainable, credible way that can allow for the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, specifically, and we are in constant touch with our counterparts, both in Egypt and in Israel, about trying to achieve that outcome.”

Israeli authorities are considering allowing a combined contingent of security-cleared Palestinian officials and the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Rafah, know as EUBAM, to take charge of the crossing, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity so they could discuss the confidential plans.

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It’s unclear how close the sides are to completing an agreement. Netanyahu’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on that question, while the Israeli defense ministry declined to comment.

A spokesperson for the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell Fontelles, said the bloc has already made clear it wants EUBAM to return to the crossing, though only when certain arrangements allow it.

The fighting in Gaza needs to stop and the issue of who governs the territory must be solved, the spokesperson said.

Netanyahu is due to meet US President Joe Biden in Washington next week and address Congress, in what will be his first trip outside of Israel since the war began in October.

Understanding the Roots of the Israel-Hamas War: QuickTake

Israel has long complained about smuggling from Egypt into southern Gaza, including of weapons for Hamas. Since the war started, Netanyahu’s government has said it will take extra steps to eradicate smuggling and destroy the many tunnels running across the border.

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It sees control of the Rafah crossing and having troops along the border with Egypt as crucial to achieving that.

Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US and EU, started the conflict when its fighters swarmed from Gaza into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage. Israel’s offensive of Gaza has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry there.

--With assistance from Ethan Bronner, Jeremy Diamond, Ben Sills, Andrea Palasciano and Michelle Jamrisko.

(Updates with Netanyahu, US comments starting in fifth paragraph)

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