Egypt rejected Israel's proposal for joint management of the Rafah checkpoint, located on the Gaza Strip-Sinai Peninsula border, according to Egyptian sources speaking to Reuters.
The proposal, presented by an Israeli security delegation on May 15, suggested a mechanism for checkpoint operations post-Israeli troop withdrawal. However, Egypt maintains that the checkpoint should be under Palestinian Authority control.
An anonymous Israeli official disclosed that Rafah was a focal point in negotiations between Israel and Egypt.
Al-Akhbar, a Lebanese newspaper linked to Hezbollah, alleges that Egypt informed the US administration that any attempt to change the Egypt-Gaza border situation militarily is unacceptable. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities reportedly intend to keep troops in Rafah.
Since the IDF assumed control of the checkpoint, Egypt ceased delivering humanitarian supplies to Gaza, fearing it would imply Cairo's approval of changing the checkpoint's status quo.
