Egyptian, US, Israeli officials to meet in Cairo Sunday to discuss reopening of Rafah border crossing

CAIRO – 1 June 2024: A high-level source said that an Egyptian-American-Israeli meeting is scheduled to be held tomorrow in Cairo to discuss the reopening of the Rafah crossing, Al Qahera News reported on Saturday.

This discussion comes in the context of Egypt's commitment to ensuring a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the crossing, the source added.

Egypt held the Israeli side responsible for the consequences of the closure of Rafah crossing border, and the worsened humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip as a result.

It was reported that the three countries will also address a plan for securing the Egyptian-Gazan border.

Egypt has repeatedly denied Israeli reports circulating that Egypt has closed the crossing.

The Rafah crossing has been closed since Israel escalated its operations in Gaza, deploying ground troops to Rafah city near the border with Egypt on May 7.

Israeli forces took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing, triggering Egypt’s condemnation. Cairo has since refused to coordinate with Israel on aid delivery to Gaza through the crossing.

However, early this week, Egyptian humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza after being redirected from Rafah to Israel's Karm Abu Salem crossing, based on an agreement between Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and US President Joe Biden.

Since the Israeli war started on October 7, Rafah crossing has served as a vital route for daily shipments of humanitarian aid sent by Egypt and the international community through Egyptian trucks.

On Thursday, a high-level Egyptian official denied reports of an alleged Egyptian-Israeli deal for the reopening of the crossing. The source reiterated Egypt's insistence on full Israeli withdrawal from the crossing as a precondition for its resumption of operation.

The war in Gaza has led to one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally, with a significant number of the population displaced, infrastructure damaged, and the strip on the brink of famine.

Over more than seven months, the Israeli war has claimed the lives of over 36,200 Palestinians and injured more than 81,700 others.