Three main European Union countries, Germany, France and Britain, have proposed to reactivate an EU mission on the Egypt-Gaza border to help stabilize the Gaza Strip after the month-long conflict.
They also proposed an international supervision apparatus that will prevent the rearmament of Hamas and other terror groups in the Strip.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his counterparts in Paris and London reportdly favored restoring EUBAM operations at the Rafah crossing.
The EU Border Assistance Mission started work in 2005 to monitor the crossing point as part of an accord worked out by Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
The operation was halted two years later when Hamas terrorists seized control of the Gaza Strip.
Egypt has repeatedly shut the border over the past year. Egyptian diplomatic sources said that while Cairo might consider easing restrictions on movement through Rafah, it was unlikely to accept Hamas calls to allow a normal flow of trade.
At the same time, in an interview with German daily Bild, Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman urged Germany to help find a solution to the conflict in Gaza, and notably to send inspectors to Gaza’s borders along with other European Union countries.
Germany has a “very significant” role to play in preventing an economic and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, he said.
He said Germany should bring together EU leaders to help find a lasting settlement for Gaza, from where Hamas has launched thousands of rockets at Israel in the last month, demanding an end to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade.
Mr Lieberman said he was not suggesting the despatch of troops or police.
“But Germany and the EU need to send inspectors to Gaza to control the trade the Palestinians conduct with neighbouring states.”