A member of the Palestinian delegation conducting indirect talks with the Israelis in Cairo to reach a durable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip said on Wednesday that the re-opening of the Rafah crossing is not an issue that will be discussed as part of the talks.
"The management of the Rafah crossing is a purely Egyptian-Palestinian issue," Qais Abdel-Karim told Anadolu Agency. "The Israelis have nothing to do with it," he added.
Located on the border between Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip, the Rafah crossing has turned into a sore point in Egyptian-Palestinian relations several years ago.
The crossing, which is dedicated for the movement of persons, foodstuffs and medicine, was most of the time closed down by Egyptian authorities, especially in the last year when tensions soared between the Egyptian army-backed authorities and the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.
Gazans have always complained that the crossing closure makes their suffering – induced by Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip – even worse.
In Cairo, the Palestinians are negotiating a consolidated calm with Israel, following a month of Israeli attacks on Gaza, that left 1867 people dead and more than 9470 others injured.
The attacks also turned thousands of homes in the Gaza Strip into mere rubble, while the infrastructure of the tiny coastal enclave has become fit for nothing.
The Palestinians had earlier proposed that the Rafah crossing be managed by the guards of Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas or be placed under an international administration.
Abdel-Karim said, however, that such an issue can be discussed between the Palestinians and Egyptians in due course.
"We have delivered a message to the head of Egypt's intelligence agency to this effect," Abdel-Karim said. "Egypt also prefers that this issue not to be discussed as part of the current talks."
No official from the Egyptian government was immediately available for comment.
By Hazem Badr
englishnews@aa.com.tr
http://www.aa.com.tr/en
