Hamas rejects Egypt proposal to return Rafah Crossing to PA

Palestinians protest against the closure of the Rafah crossing point between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip and the Israeli blockade on the territory, on 24 January 2019 in Rafah [SAID KHATIB / AFP / Getty]

Hamas has rejected a new Egyptian proposal to return control of the Rafah Crossing to the Palestinian Authority (PA), an informed source told Al-Watan Voice.

According to the source, who preferred to remain anonymous, the proposal was suggested by Egyptian intelligence and it includes merging PA and Hamas staff together and training them on how to run crossings.

Hamas, the source reported, completely rejected the proposal and said that the PA’s “intention is not clear.”

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Meanwhile, the source said that Egypt is currently laying down a plan related to the Rafah Crossing which might be ready within days.

Hamas handed over its control of the Rafah Crossing to the PA in 2017 after an agreement reached in Cairo. Since then, Egypt opens the crossing on a daily basis, but only lets through a couple of hundred travellers a day.

In January this year the PA withdrew its staff from the crossing, claiming that Hamas did not hand over full control.

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