A senior Egyptian official on Monday denied reports in the media on an Egyptian agreement to move the Rafah crossing from its current location or to build a new crossing near Kerem Shalom.
The official stressed that Egypt is not discussing the possibility of Israel supervising the Rafah crossing, and it is still adhering to its position that the IDF must withdraw fully from the Palestinian Arab side of the Rafah crossing.
Since the seizure of the Rafah crossing, Egypt has expressed opposition to opening the crossing as long as the IDF troops control it, and has placed full responsibility on Israel for the worsening of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip due to the closure of the crossing.
Egypt claims that it continues to work to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, but refuses to allow many trucks located on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing to enter the Gaza Strip as long as the IDF controls the Rafah crossing.
After IDF troops took over the Philadelphi corridor, 25 tunnels were discovered that connected the Gaza Strip to Egypt, and were most likely also used for the transfer of weapons and ammunition, as well as long-range rocket launching positions very close to the border with Egypt.