Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed opening the Rafah crossing in both directions, letting Palestinians who left Gaza enter again, but had to withdraw it after opposition from several coalition members led by Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, N12 reported on Sunday, citing two Israeli officials.
Netanyahu’s proposal aimed to address some of the American demands regarding phase one of the Gaza ceasefire, with the Israeli officials explaining that the Trump Administration seems frustrated over the lack of commitments implemented by Israel in Gaza.
According to the report, the failure to open both directions of the Rafah crossing is the main reason why the White House believes Israel is “dragging its feet over the full implementation of the Gaza plan.”
The Israeli officials also said that the main reason for refusing Netanyahu’s proposal was the fact that Hamas still holds slain hostage St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili’s remains in Gaza, while the Israeli government expects to receive them before implementing more parts of the ceasefire.
“There was political pressure against the proposal, with no final decision made over the opening of both directions of the Rafah crossing,” the officials told N12.
The Rafah crossing was opened for Gazans to leave Gaza towards Egypt in December as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
"In accordance with the ceasefire agreement and a directive of the political echelon, the Rafah Crossing will open in the coming days exclusively for the exit of residents from the Gaza Strip to Egypt," the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said on December 3.
Netanyahu travels to meet Trump during US trip
The meeting in which Netanyahu proposed opening the Rafah crossing took place before the prime minister’s trip to the US, where he will meet US President Donald Trump.
The meeting, which will be their sixth since Trump began his second term in January, is due to take place at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Monday evening.
The discussions are expected to cover several key issues: advancing Trump’s plan for the Gaza Strip, Iran’s ballistic missile program, the situation in Lebanon, and the US-Israel security assistance agreement, which needs to be finalized soon.
The most significant point of contention is likely to be Gaza, where Israel insists that reconstruction of the Strip cannot begin until Hamas fully disarms. In contrast, the US administration has already indicated that Trump’s plan will move to its second phase in January, which includes key agreements.
Amichai Stein contributed to this report.