Hamas sends delegation to Turkey, Israel wants private US firms to operate Rafah crossing

Palestinian group Hamas said in a press release on Sunday that a delegation from its leadership met on Saturday with the head of Turkish intelligence, Ibrahim Kalin, in Istanbul to discuss developments regarding the second phase of the ceasefire agreement.

The Hamas delegation was headed by one of its chiefs, Khalil al-Hayya, and also included other leaders in the movement, including Zaher Jabarin, Mahmoud Mardawi, and the group’s representative in Turkey, Musa Akkari.

The statement said the meeting addressed steps that can be taken to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians, the work of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, the opening of the Rafah crossing in both directions and the entry of vital aid.

In recent days, reports that the Rafah crossing will open have dominated headlines, with Israel’s public broadcaster stating that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Tel Aviv to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the matter.

The broadcaster Kan also reported that Israel is demanding clear answers from the envoys regarding operational arrangements before the crossing is opened.

Meanwhile, Israeli news site Haaretz also reported that Israel has asked the US to deploy private American companies at the Rafah crossing rather than relying on Palestinian Authority forces.

The outlet cites two sources familiar with the details, adding that discussions are underway between Tel Aviv and Washington regarding the force that would manage the crossing, amid various opinions on the European Union Police Mission, which will oversee Palestinian staff there.

The outlet further cited an unnamed diplomatic source who said that the idea to deploy US security forces was previously floated before being disregarded, while another source said Tel Aviv would rather have another agreement, involving Egypt, the US and Israel.

According to the report in Haaretz, UG Solutions was one of the security firms mentioned in discussions, despite the company being lambasted internationally for its links to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which was linked to the deaths of thousands of Palestinians killed while seeking aid.

Another source said that the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) also took part in discussions, but COGAT denied this.

The latest developments come ahead of a planned Israeli Security Cabinet meeting on Sunday, where the reopening of the crossing is expected to be approved.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Israel intends to establish another checkpoint for Palestinians at the crossing, dubbed 'Rafah 2', where further checks will be carried out.

Despite the developments, Israeli media have reported disagreements over the opening of the crossing, with some Hebrew-language outlets revealing some officials were "surprised" by the proposal to open the Rafah crossing, although this was outlined in US President Donald Trump’s peace plan.

Israeli reports state that some officials have demanded "clarifications" from US envoys.

While a ceasefire agreement came into effect in October, Israel has violated the truce on an almost daily basis. Over 400 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in Gaza since October, while over 70,000 others have been killed since October 2023.

Sunday saw Israel shell eastern areas of Khan Younis and the al-Tuffah neighbourhood, wounding many.

The war on Gaza has been determined to be a genocide by leading international human rights groups.