Palestinian groups reject any foreign control over Rafah crossing

Palestinian groups yesterday strongly rejected any foreign party controlling the Rafah border crossing, a day after the Israeli occupation army occupied it, Anadolu reported.

In a statement, the Follow-up Committee for National and Islamic Forces, which includes the majority of Palestinian groups, said regardless of the accuracy of the reports on plans by Israel to hand the crossing to a foreign security firm, Palestinian groups reject any form of foreign control over the Rafah Crossing. This, it added, would be “a form of occupation, and any plans in such a direction will be treated in the same manner as we treat the [Israeli] occupation.”

The Palestinian groups urged the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and Egypt in particular “to reject any plans and attempts that contradict the Palestinian-Egyptian sovereignty over the Rafah crossing.”

On Tuesday, Israeli media, including the daily Haaretz, revealed that Israel plans to transfer the control of the crossing to a private American security firm.

Since Israel occupied the crossing, aid has not been allowed into Gaza, leading to UN agencies to warn that vital fuel and food supplies are quickly depleting and Palestinians face further risks of famine and death as a result.

READ: All main crossings in the Gaza Strip are closed