Egyptian contractors entered an area in eastern Rafah on Tuesday and began engineering surveys ahead of the construction of the "Green Rafah" neighborhood, Galei Zahal (Army Radio) reported Wednesday morning.
According to the report, the contractors worked for several hours in an area inside the Yellow Line, preparing for infrastructure work and the beginning of construction.
Their entry was approved and coordinated by the IDF Southern Command, with IDF forces accompanying them and aircraft providing surveillance from above.
Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted that reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip will not move forward without the disarmament of Hamas.
According to the report, Israel's political leadership approved advancing plans for the establishment of "Green Rafah," which is expected to be built in eastern Rafah in the coming months.
The neighborhood is intended to house tens of thousands of Gaza residents in an area that is not under Hamas control and will be under the control of the multinational force.
The "Green Rafah" project is funded and managed by the United Arab Emirates. Approval for the Egyptian contractors to enter the area was granted one day after Netanyahu's visit to the UAE.