Israel has asked the United States to deploy private American security companies at the Rafah crossing as part of new arrangements for its operation, instead of relying on forces affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, Haaretz reported.
The newspaper quoted two sources familiar with the details as saying that discussions are underway between Tel Aviv and Washington regarding the nature of the force that would manage the crossing, amid differing views over the role of the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM), which is supposed to supervise the Palestinian staff on the Gaza side of the crossing.
While a diplomatic source told Haaretz that the idea of deploying American private security companies had been raised previously and then abandoned, another source said that Tel Aviv is seeking a “trilateral arrangement” involving only Egypt, the US, and Israel. The source added that Washington’s firm rejection of deploying military forces in the Gaza Strip has pushed efforts toward alternatives, including private security companies.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military carried out three airstrikes at dawn on Sunday, targeting the Tuffah neighbourhood in east Gaza City. Israeli artillery shelling also targeted the eastern parts of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
In the occupied West Bank,Israeli military and settler attacks continue, with one Palestinian man being shot dead by Israeli forces at a checkpoint near the Ofra settlement, northeast of Ramallah.