Khaberni - A high-level Palestinian delegation arrived in Cairo on Sunday to discuss several issues related to the implementation of the second phase of American President Donald Trump's Gaza plan, along with the security and economic situations in the occupied West Bank.
A Palestinian source reported that the delegation is led by Palestinian Deputy President Hussein al-Sheikh and the Director of Palestinian Intelligence Majid Faraj.
The source mentioned that "the role of the Palestinian Authority in the beginning of the second phase of the agreement will be limited to managing the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which is expected to open in both directions by mid-January."
He added that about 200 Palestinian security elements from the Presidential Guard, intelligence services, and technical and logistical support personnel would be present at the Rafah crossing in civilian clothes, as their work will be part of the mechanisms of the 2005 crossing operation agreement, with the presence of European monitoring forces and Israeli security "remotely."
Israel has not declared the reopening of the crossing as stipulated by the ceasefire agreement, which began implementation on October 10 with US, Egyptian, and Qatari mediation.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, Egypt and six Muslim countries expressed their concern "about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, which has been exacerbated by harsh, severe, and unstable weather conditions."
These countries demanded that Israel "ensure the operation of the United Nations and non-governmental international organizations in Gaza."
They also called for "the immediate and full entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip without obstacles or interference from any party, through the United Nations and its agencies."
After Israel announced in early December its intention to open the crossing in one direction, to exclusively allow the departure of Gaza residents to Egypt, Cairo quickly denied its approval of this measure, emphasizing the need to open the crossing in both directions.
