Israel has not given instructions to open the Rafah crossing.. and Trump did not request that

The Israeli political level has not yet given instructions to its army to open the Rafah crossing, which separates the Gaza Strip from Egypt; moreover, the American President, Donald Trump, did not request that during his meeting with the Prime Minister of the occupation, Benjamin Netanyahu, at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, at the end of last year. The "Israel Hayom" newspaper reported that uncertainty prevails regarding the possibility of opening the crossing soon, recalling that "Trump said last week that allowing Gazans to leave would push them to emigrate".

Despite the ambiguity surrounding the date of reopening the crossing, the newspaper noted today, Monday, that after the pressure exerted by Trump's envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Netanyahu is likely to give instructions to activate the crossing. According to it, if that happens, the mechanism for opening and supervising it "will benefit Israel manifold this time, compared to the past".

Based on Trump's plan for a ceasefire in Gaza, and in agreement with international parties, a monitoring force affiliated with the European Union will operate the crossing, while Israel monitors it remotely via cameras. However, the matter will go beyond that, as revealed by the newspaper; the occupying army is planning to establish checkpoints to inspect all those entering Gaza to "ensure they are not smuggling anything prohibited (weapons, money..)". This is in response to the request of the Southern Command in the army to grant the latter the leading role in the physical inspection process of those entering the sector.

To implement this goal, a corridor will be established that obliges all those entering Gaza from Egypt to pass from the European inspection point to the point operated by the "Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (West Bank and Gaza Strip)"; where entrants and their belongings will be inspected again. Note that the two inspection centers will be within the Blue Line, which is entirely under Israeli control.

According to the newspaper, under the understandings between the American administration and the Israeli government, it was agreed that opening the Rafah crossing "will not constitute a means to flood the sector with population again. Accordingly, the number of entrants and exits will be directed so that a greater number leaves Gaza than enters it". In this regard, estimates indicate that about 150 people will leave daily to Egypt, while only a third of that number will enter the sector, after Egypt insisted that the crossing not operate in the exit direction only. In addition to the above, exit will only be allowed for patients and their companions.

Furthermore, the far-right Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said during a tribute event in the Knesset, "I address from here to the Prime Minister: do not open the Rafah crossing under any circumstances, and do not advance an inch until Ran returns! (the body of the last Israeli captive in the sector, soldier Ran Gvili) This is our duty. Hamas can, and should, return Ran to be buried in Israel".