The head of the technocrat committee set to rule Gaza announced Thursday that the Rafah border crossing between the Strip and Egypt will open next week in both directions, although Israel did not immediately confirm that would be the case.

Ali Shaath, the chief commissioner of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, said during US President Donald Trump’s launch ceremony for Gaza’s Board of Peace in Davos, Switzerland, that the key crossing point between Gaza and Egypt will open next week for both the entry and exit of Gazans.

“For Palestinians in Gaza, Rafah is more than a gate; it is a lifeline and symbol of opportunity. Opening Rafah signals that Gaza is no longer closed to the future and the world,” said NCAG head Shaath, a former minister in the Palestinian Authority, speaking at the World Economic Forum.

An Israeli official quoted in Hebrew media outlets maintained, however, that the crossing would remain closed until the body of Ran Gvili, the last remaining hostage in Gaza, was returned to Israel. But a separate Israeli official confirmed that the issue was slated to be discussed by the cabinet next week.

At the cabinet meeting on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will discuss the return of Gvili’s body and opening the Rafah Crossing, an Israeli official said Thursday.

The official........

© The Times of Israel