Report: Israel seeks to ensure more Palestinians leave Gaza than return

Israel is seeking to restrict the number of Palestinians returning to Gaza from Egypt via the Rafah crossing to ensure that more Palestinians leave the Strip than enter it, before the border crossing is expected to open next week, according to Reuters, citing three informed sources.

Ali Shaath, head of the US-backed Palestinian technocrat committee to temporarily manage Gaza, announced yesterday (Thursday) that the Rafah crossing would open next week. The crossing is effectively the only entry and exit point for Gaza's more than two million residents.

The crossing was supposed to open under the ceasefire agreement reached by Israel and Hamas in October, as part of the first phase of US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza.

The United States said earlier this month that the second phase of the plan had been entered, under which Israel is expected to withdraw more troops from Gaza, and Hamas to relinquish control of the Strip.

The Israeli army has controlled the crossing from the Palestinian side since 2024.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, stated that the method Israel intends to use to impose restrictions on the number of Palestinians entering Gaza from Egypt is not yet clear, nor is the ratio of departures to arrivals it seeks to achieve.

Israeli officials have previously spoken about encouraging Palestinians to emigrate from Gaza, although they deny any intention to forcibly displace the population. There is extreme sensitivity among Palestinians to any hint of the possibility of expelling Gaza residents or preventing those who leave temporarily from returning.

The crossing is expected to be managed by Palestinians affiliated with the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah and to be monitored by European Union personnel, as was the case during a previous weeks-long truce early last year between Israel and Hamas.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office did not respond to a request for comment. The Israeli army referred questions to the government and declined to comment.

The sources added that Israel also wants to establish a military checkpoint inside the Strip near the border, requiring all Palestinians leaving or returning to pass through it and undergo Israeli security checks.

Two other sources reported that Israeli officials insisted on establishing a military checkpoint in Gaza to inspect departing or returning Palestinians.

The US Embassy in Israel did not respond to a request for comment on whether the United States supports Israel in limiting the number of Palestinians entering Gaza or establishing a checkpoint for returning and departing individuals.

Under the first phase of the Trump plan, the Israeli army withdrew its forces from parts of Gaza, but retained control over 53 percent of the Strip, including the entire land border with Egypt. Most of the Strip's residents live in the remaining areas, which are under Hamas's control, and mostly reside in temporary tents or damaged buildings.

The sources stated that the method of dealing with individuals whom the Israeli army will prevent from passing through the checkpoint, especially those coming from Egypt, is not yet clear.

The Israeli government has repeatedly objected to opening the borders, with some officials saying that Hamas must first return the remains of an Israeli police officer, the last hostage whose remains were scheduled to be handed over in the first phase of the ceasefire.

US officials say privately that Washington, not Israel, is leading the implementation of the Trump plan to end the war.