Rafah Crossing Woes

Reported:

Palestinians have proven they are capable of operating the Gaza side of Egypt's Rafah crossing, leading Hamas figure Ghazi Hamad told local radio on Sunday night, adding there was "no need for foreign observers."

...Hamad said that Hamas was capable of running the terminal from the Gaza side, and that there was no need for foreign intervention.

[Saeb] Erekat, however, noted that the issue of international forces at the crossing would likely be discussed by the new technocrat Palestinian Authority government, expected to be appointed on 6 June.

Further reported

The head of the Hamas government in Gaza on Tuesday urged Palestinians to respect Egypt's security so that Cairo would keep open the Rafah border crossing.

Ismail Haniyeh welcomed Egypt's decision to fully reopen the crossing last week, and warned Palestinians "to refrain from any breach of Egypt's security."

"Don't do anything that could compromise the reopening of the terminal," he said. "We assure our Egyptian brothers: 'Your security is ours and your stability is ours.'"

and reported further

An escalated crisis between Egypt and the Hamas government of the Gaza Strip was dampened Tuesday night, as officials met over ways to handle the flood of Palestinians seeking to cross the Rafah border terminal.

Following the May 28 opening of the Gaza-Egypt border, for almost unfettered access to Palestinians except men between 18-40, floods of would-be travelers arrived prepared to cross, overwhelming the terminal.

...Officials traded increasingly headed accusations over who failed in the creation of a mechanism to allow Palestinians to use Rafah, culminating in a late-night meeting between security personnel from both sides.

Following the meeting, the officials announced that a cap of 400 travelers per day would be set on the crossing, and the names of the permitted passengers would be posted one day ahead of travel. While the new mechanisms are expected to ease the crush of people seeking passage at the border, Hamas officials in Gaza have accused Egyptians of failing to meet their pledge to fully open the crossing.

In Cairo, however, officials say they are doing more than enough, noting the move is already a challenge to Israel.

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