Israeli-Palestinian Tensions: Rafah Crossing Proposal and Internal Struggles

A report by Amale Chehadeh, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine 


After continuously rejecting any solution that involved Palestinian Authority participation in Gaza administration following the end of the al-Aqsa Flood Operation, Tel Aviv returned proposing Palestinian Authority involvement in managing the Rafah Crossing as a potential solution to ease tensions with Egypt, after the Israeli military seized control of the crossing without any coordination with Cairo.

The initial rejection of the Israeli proposal came from the Palestinian Authority, which refused Israel's insistence on scrutinizing employees at the crossing administration and stipulated that they should not be officially affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, but rather defined as a "local assistance committee." Similar to the Palestinian Authority's stance, it appears that the Israeli proposal also angered Egypt.

Prime Minister Netanyahu's attempts to ease tensions with Cairo amidst Egypt's efforts to reach a hostages deal were presented during consultations with ministers and security officials for consideration in the upcoming cabinet meeting, aiming to de-escalate tensions with Egypt and expand operations at Rafah.

Politicians acknowledged that Israel's move contributed to halting negotiations without setting a new date, while simultaneously increasing US pressure on Tel Aviv.

Amidst this challenging domestic and external context, Israel marked what it calls its Independence Day with scenes unseen since seventy-six years ago, not only characterized by the absence of celebrations but also by conflicts and disputes that marred this occasion, leading to shouting matches and physical altercations attempting to prevent ministers and leaders from delivering speeches.

These speeches reflected the failure of those who considered themselves the world's fifth largest army against a military organization, including apologies to the families of fallen soldiers and acknowledgment of failures and shortcomings—a situation reflecting internal collapse and the disintegration of what Tel Aviv had boasted of since 1948 as a popular unity that formed a fundamental basis for its strength and continuity.