Netanyahu denies reports Israel agreed to PA administration of Rafah
'The only practical involvement of the Palestinian Authority is its stamp on the passports,' Netanyahu said
Saudi media reported Wednesday that the heads of the Mossad and the Shin Bet security agency agreed with the head of Egyptian intelligence that the Palestinian Authority will manage the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, under UN supervision.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied the claim shortly afterward, attributing it to "efforts by the Palestinian Authority to create a false picture to the effect that it controls the crossing."
Netanyahu said that "IDF forces are positioned around the crossing and there is no passage" without the approval of Israeli security.
"The only practical involvement of the Palestinian Authority is its stamp on the passports, which according to the existing international arrangement, is the only way Gazans may leave the Strip in order to enter, or be received in, other countries," Netanyahu said.
The Shin Bet also responded to the reports, saying that "the site will be managed according to the agreement approved by the political eschelon."