Key Takeaways
- Palestine has rejected an Israeli-U.S. proposal to temporarily reopen the Rafah border crossing without Israeli withdrawal.
- The Palestinian stance is in line with the 2005 agreement on the Rafah crossing, which requires Palestinian sovereignty, European participation, and a full Israeli withdrawal.
- The meeting concluded with no further dialogue following the rejection of the Israeli-U.S. proposal by the Palestinians.
Ramallah: Palestine has rejected an Israeli-U.S. proposal to temporarily reopen the Rafah border crossing, calling instead for an Israeli withdrawal and the establishment of Palestinian sovereignty, an official source told Xinhua on Wednesday.
Last week, a meeting took place between representatives from Palestine, the United States, and Israel to discuss the operation of the Rafah border crossing. This meeting aimed to explore the possibility of managing the crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli side proposed that six Palestinian employees participate in managing the crossing without uniforms or police, and without raising the Palestinian flag, said the source in a statement sent to Xinhua.
The source explained that the proposal was rejected because it aimed to open the crossing temporarily without Palestinian sovereignty, which contradicts the Palestinian position and international agreements.
According to the source, the Palestinian stance is in line with the 2005 agreement on the Rafah crossing, which requires Palestinian sovereignty, European participation, and a full Israeli withdrawal from the crossing.
The meeting concluded after the Israeli-U.S. proposal was rejected by the Palestinians, and there has been no further dialogue following the meeting, said the source.
The meeting is considered the first between Israel and representatives of the Palestinian Authority to discuss the future of Gaza after the ongoing conflict.
On May 7, the Israeli army announced the imposition of “operational” control over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, which led to the cessation of aid delivery from Egypt into Gaza through the crossing.
