Israel decides to keep Rafah crossing closed, prevent Gaza administration committee entry

3 Comments

January 20, 2026 at 8:26 am.    Middle East Monitor

Aid trucks loaded with humanitarian supplies remain stranded at the Rafah Border Crossing on the Egyptian side due to Israeli attacks and closed border crossings, the delivery of aid is limited and delayed in Rafah, Egypt on August 6, 2025. [Mohamed Elshahed – Anadolu Agency]

Israel has decided to keep the Rafah crossing closed and to prevent the Gaza administration committee from entering the territory, despite US demands. This comes amid disagreements with Washington over the make-up of the executive council and the role of Qatar and Turkey. At the same time, information indicates that no date has been set for the committee to start work because of direct Israeli obstacles.

According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Monday, the decision not to open the Rafah crossing was taken on Sunday evening during a meeting of Israel’s smaller security and political cabinet. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

The newspaper quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that including representatives from Turkey and Qatar in the council overseeing the reconstruction of Gaza “was not part of the original understandings between Israel and the United States”. The official added that it is also unclear what powers this new body will have and what its exact role will be 

The Israeli official repeated that “the inclusion of Turkey and Qatar was against Netanyahu’s wishes”. He said this was “Kushner’s and Witkoff’s revenge on him, because of his insistence not opening the crossing” before the return of the body of the last Israeli captive held in the Gaza Strip.

READ: Gaza government says ready to transfer powers to technocratic committee to run enclave