Egypt Says Rafah Border Can't Be Reopened Unless Israel Leaves Gaza Side

JAKARTA - The Rafah border crossing vital for delivering aid to Gaza from Egypt will no longer operate unless Israel relinquishes control of it and hands it back to Palestinians on the Gaza side, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Monday.

"It is difficult for the Rafah crossing to continue operating without the Palestinian Authority," Shoukry told a news conference with his Spanish counterpart in Madrid, Reuters reported on June 3.

Last month, Israel seized Gaza's entire border with Egypt, including the crossing, during its offensive against Hamas in the city of Rafah.

The crossing is also the only lifeline to the outside world for the 2.3 million residents of the besieged territory.

Shoukry said the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty remains "a solid foundation for security and stability in the region, and everyone must take account of it and act responsibly to preserve this important agreement."

The Egyptian foreign minister’s comments come amid heightened tensions, after an Egyptian soldier was killed last week in a gunfight with Israeli forces who Egyptian security sources said crossed the border while chasing and killing several Palestinians.

Two Egyptian security sources said Sunday’s meeting between U.S., Egyptian and Israeli officials was positive, although no agreement was reached to reopen the crossing.

The Egyptian delegation at the meeting said it would be open to European monitors at the border to oversee operations by the Palestinian Authority, if the latter agreed to resume work.

Under their peace agreement, Egypt and Israel have been working closely on security issues around the borders between Israel, Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Gaza. They jointly enforced a blockade of Gaza after Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007.

Foreign Minister Shoukry also called on Hamas and Israel to accept the latest proposal for a Gaza ceasefire put forward by US President Joe Biden, saying Hamas' initial comments were positive.

"We are now waiting for Israel's response," he said.