File photo: A vehicle of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) crosses from the Palestinian side to the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP
An official from the Israeli security service Shin Bet presented the plan on a visit to Cairo on Wednesday, amid rising tension between the two countries following Israel's military advance last week into the border Palestinian city of Rafah.
An Israeli official who requested anonymity while speaking to Reuters said that the Israeli proposal included a mechanism for how to re-open the Rafah crossing between Sinai and the Gaza Strip and manage the crossing after an Israeli withdrawal.
According to Axios, the Israeli plan suggests reopening the Rafah crossing with the involvement of Palestinian representatives and UN personnel under Israeli supervision and army protection.
The plan stipulates that the crossing will only be used for the movement of people to and from the Gaza Strip and the transfer of fuel from Egypt.
Aid trucks coming from Egypt would be only allowed via the Karm Abu Salem crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip. These trucks will be inspected by Israel before they enter Gaza, Axios added.
Egypt insists the crossing should be managed only by Palestinian authorities, the sources added.
On Saturday, an informed Egyptian source told Al-Qahera News channel that Egypt rejects coordination with Israel regarding the Rafah crossing due to the unacceptable Israeli escalation in Gaza.
Egypt has been demanding an immediate withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the Rafah city as well as the Rafah crossing.
On 7 May, Israel launched ground assaults in the city, which is close to the Egyptian border and shelters over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population.
Israeli tanks moved into the city and took over the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing, with the Israeli flags raised there.
The step drew immediate condemnation from Cairo, which repeatedly warned that an operation in Rafah would endanger the 1979 peace treaty with Israel.
Egyptian has urged called on Israel not to pursue a “brinkmanship policy” that undermines talks efforts aimed at reaching a sustainable truce and a detainee swap deal.
Not a single aid truck has crossed into Gaza since the incursion of the Israeli forces in Rafah crossing.
Egypt has also informed all concerned parties of Israel's responsibility for the deterioration of humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
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