Egypt is negotiating with Israel to reopen the Rafah border crossing into Gaza which has been shut down since May, but was heavily relied upon for aid which Hamas has intercepted, controlled, used for its own military capabilities, and sold on the black market.

According to Arab negotiators, reopening the Rafah border crossing would build on momentum for peace from earlier in the week when Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire. The reopening is part of a broader proposal for temporary peace between Israel and Hamas, in which the Jewish nation and Islamist terrorist group would cease fighting for at least 60 days.