US envoys urged Netanyahu to reopen the Rafah crossing before Hamas returns a hostage’s remains, with talks also touching on a future Turkish role in Gaza.
JERUSALEM: US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reopen the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt during talks, Israeli media reported.
The meeting was described as “positive” by an unnamed Israeli official cited by Ynet, but Witkoff pressed Israel to reopen Rafah before Hamas returns the remains of the last Israeli hostage.
The official claimed Witkoff also raised the possibility of Turkey playing a role in Gaza’s future, stating he had “become a lobbyist for Qatari interests”.
“Witkoff pushed to bring our greatest rival, Turkey, to our border,” the official was quoted as saying.
Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected any Turkish role in post-war Gaza, despite US President Donald Trump having invited President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to join a peace initiative.
Reopening Rafah forms part of a Gaza truce framework announced by Trump, but the crossing has remained closed since Israeli forces took control of it.
However, a newly appointed Palestinian administrator for Gaza said on Thursday that the crossing would be operational in both directions next week.
“For Palestinians in Gaza, Rafah is more than a gate, it is a lifeline and a symbol of opportunity,” administrator Ali Shaath said.
Israeli officials face pressure from the family of the last hostage, Ran Gvili, whose remains are believed to still be in Gaza.
“We ask that the prime minister of Israel make clear to the respected American envoys that anyone who truly seeks to advance the rehabilitation of Gaza and peace in the Middle East must first and foremost bring Rani home,” Gvili’s family said.
A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Gaza since October, though Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of violations.
