Next week’s slated reopening of the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt was “imposed” on Israel, a US official and an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel on Friday.

The Arab diplomat said mediators of the Gaza ceasefire — the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey — recognized that Israel wasn’t going to agree on its own to reopen the border gate between Egypt and Gaza.

While Trump’s 20-point plan for ending the Gaza war envisioned the reopening of Rafah at the start of the ceasefire that was reached in October, Israel has sought to limit its use to the exit of Gazans while insisting on the return of the final hostage and the disarmament of Hamas before making the gate fully operational.

Recognizing that Israel wasn’t going to budge on the issue, Gaza mediators decided to go ahead and announce Rafah’s reopening this week during the signing ceremony for the Board of Peace in Davos, Switzerland, the Arab diplomat says.

The reopening was first announced by the chief commissioner of the National Committee for the Administration of Palestine, with the Arab diplomat explaining that it was part of the Gaza mediators’ effort to secure quick wins for NCAG, the 12-member panel of Palestinian technocrats tasked with replacing Hamas in running Gaza’s daily affairs.

The Arab diplomat said Israel was informed ahead of time that the announcement was going to be made, even if it wasn’t consulted.

The issue was raised during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meetings with Trump and his top aides in Florida last month, where Washington made clear that it expected Israel to reopen Rafah, a US official said, adding that the Israeli premier indicated that he would comply.

Even after the announcement in Davos,........

© The Times of Israel