Egypt rejects Israeli demands over Rafah crossing as negotiations stall

Israel is seeking to impose stringent conditions for reopening the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, a move that could further delay efforts to ease Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, Israeli media reported.

Hebrew outlets, citing sources familiar with the negotiations, reported that Israel’s proposals include the establishment of an additional Israeli inspection point beyond the Palestinian checkpoint inside the crossing. Under the reported plan, travellers entering Gaza would pass through the Rafah gate before proceeding along a route leading to Israeli security checks, giving Israel indirect control over the crossing without deploying forces directly inside Palestinian territory.

The reports added that another Israeli condition would prevent the entry of Palestinians born outside the Gaza Strip during or before the war, while also requiring that the number of people allowed to enter Gaza does not exceed those leaving. Israeli and international sources cited by the reports said the measure aims to ensure a “net exit” of Gaza’s population.

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A third condition, according to the reports, involves relocating the crossing to the border triangle near the Kerem Abu Salem crossing in a project referred to as “Rafah 2.” The plan would effectively sideline the traditional Rafah crossing and render the Philadelphi Corridor inoperable, consolidating Israeli control over Gaza’s southern border.

Egypt, according to the same reports, has rejected any changes to the management of the crossing and insists that Rafah must remain under joint Palestinian-Egyptian administration.

The United Nations has warned that the continued closure of Rafah is worsening hunger and the spread of disease in Gaza, where the crossing is a key route for the entry of humanitarian aid.

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