Netanyahu, US envoys discuss opening Rafah crossing: Israeli media

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reopen the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt during talks in Jerusalem, Israeli media reported Sunday.

The reports came after a newly appointed administrator for Gaza said Thursday that the crossing would be operational in both directions next week.

Israeli news site Ynet reported, citing an unnamed Israeli official, that while the meeting between Netanyahu, Witkoff and Kushner was “positive”, Witkoff pressed Israel to reopen Rafah even before Hamas returns the remains of the last Israeli hostage believed to be held in Gaza.

According to the official, Witkoff also raised the possibility of Turkiye playing a role in Gaza’s future.

“Witkoff pushed to bring our greatest rival, Turkiye, to our border,” the official was quoted as saying.

READ MORE: Pakistan, other world leaders sign Trump’s Board of Peace charter

“The clock is ticking toward a confrontation with Turkiye, which would pose a real threat to our security.”

The official also accused Witkoff of acting on behalf of Doha, saying he had “become a lobbyist for Qatari interests”, according to Ynet.

When asked to confirm the Israeli media reports, Shosh Bedrosian, spokeswoman for Netanyahu’s office, told AFP that she would look into the matter.

Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected any Turkish role in post-war Gaza, despite US President Donald Trump having invited President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to join his so-called “Board of Peace”.

Relations between Israel and Turkiye have deteriorated since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023.

Reopening Rafah forms part of a Gaza truce framework announced by Trump in October, but the crossing has remained closed after Israeli forces took control of it during the war.

However, Ali Shaath, appointed to head a committee of 15 Palestinian technocrats tasked with overseeing Gaza’s day-to-day administration, said at the World Economic Forum on Thursday that the gateway would reopen next week.

The crossing is a key entry point for humanitarian aid to Gaza’s 2.2 million residents.

“For Palestinians in Gaza, Rafah is more than a gate, it is a lifeline and a symbol of opportunity,” Shaath said.

Israeli officials are under pressure from the family of the last hostage whose remains are still in Gaza.

“We ask that the prime minister of Israel make clear to the respected American envoys that anyone who truly seeks to advance the rehabilitation of Gaza and peace in the Middle East must first and foremost bring Rani home,” Gvili’s family said in a statement ahead of Netanyahu’s meeting with the US officials.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since October 10 and entered its second phase this month, though Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of violations.