Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, reported on Thursday that Israeli authorities are considering handing over management of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, to the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Rafah (EUBAM) and Palestinian officials.
While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has scorned the idea of Israel ceding the crossing, Israeli officials have been in talks with the EU and the US about the proposal, the sources told Bloomberg.
At the same time, the Palestinian Hamas movement denied that a meeting had taken place in Qatar between two prominent members of the movement and the director of Israel's Mossad intelligence service, to discuss the possibility of European Union control over the Rafah border crossing.
In turn, White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said the Biden administration could not confirm reports that Israel was considering transferring control of the Rafah crossing to the EU and the Palestinians.
"I'm not in a position to confirm those reports," Kirby said.
However, Kirby said that he is aware of the reports.
Kirby said the US wants to see the crossing open in a way that allows the flow of humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip.
The US is in constant touch with Egyptian and Israeli counterparts about achieving such an outcome, Kirby added.
Israel has been conducting military operations in the Gaza Strip, as a response to the attack on its territory by the Palestinian movement Hamas, on October 7, 2023. At least 120 hostages are still being held by Hamas in the Palestinian enclave, of which more than 40 are considered dead, according to Israeli officials. During various operations and humanitarian efforts, 135 people were freed from captivity, a figure that includes the dead hostages whose bodies were taken from the enclave.