The Endless 'Reopenings' of Rafah
The Actors and Their Incentives The Israeli Government (Netanyahu's Cabinet): Controls access points directly or by proxy, including the movement of goods and people. Their primary incentive is to manage the flow of humanitarian aid and personnel to prevent any significant shift in Gaza's status as an isolated entity while projecting an image of humanitarian concern to the international community.
This allows them to maintain a siege, albeit selectively permeable. The Egyptian Government (President Sisi's Administration): Operates the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing. Their incentive aligns with maintaining regional stability, controlling their border, and avoiding a refugee crisis, often in coordination with Israeli policy. Egypt benefits from international aid and political support
contingent on its role in managing Gaza's access. The crossing has been routinely closed or severely restricted since 2013, solidifying its role as a choke point managed in conjunction with, and often in response to, Israeli demands (Human Rights Watch, 2023). International Aid Organizations/UN Agencies: Dependent on the crossing for delivering aid. Their incentive is purely humanitarian, but
their operational capacity is dictated by the political actors controlling the borders. They often become tacit participants in the 'limited access' framework, as their primary goal is to deliver aid, regardless of the underlying systemic issues. Palestinians in Gaza: The primary recipients of 'limited traffic.' Their incentive is survival and any egress from the besieged territory. For them,