Israel Will Control Egypt-Gaza Border Crossing During Ceasefire First Phase

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Israel, not the Palestinian Authority, will control the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip during the first phase of the current four-day-old ceasefire with Hamas, the Associated Press reports.

Israel’s intention was announced Wednesday by the office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, which denied earlier reports that the PA would be in charge of the crossing.

Having taken effect on Sunday, January 19, the ceasefire is set to last for six weeks. During this time, 33 hostages held by Hamas will be released at least three at a time every weekend. In exchange, Israel will release 737 Palestinian prisoners, including 110 who are serving life sentences for terrorism against Israel. A further 1,167 Palestinians detained by the IDF in Gaza are also set to be released in the first phase.

The IDF will withdraw into a buffer zone about 0.6 miles wide inside Gaza, along the border with Israel during the first phase.

Moreover, humanitarian aid for Gaza will be controlled by Israel, AP said. “Nearly 900 trucks of aid entered Gaza on the third day of the ceasefire Tuesday, the United Nations said. That’s significantly higher than the 600 trucks called for in the deal,” AP noted in its report.

The European Union has said in a statement that it will have monitors supervising the Rafah crossing, AP reports.

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