IDF: Reopening Rafah for Cargo Would Be a "Catastrophe"

Israeli military officials are warning the government against allowing goods to pass through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, saying such a move would pose severe security risks and strengthen Hamas.

The warnings come as the crossing reopened Monday for the movement of people. Senior IDF officers say returning to pre-Oct. 7 arrangements for cargo would be a "catastrophe, nothing less," according to military correspondent Doron Kadosh.

The military has raised concerns about the lack of Israeli oversight at Rafah, pointing to a June 2021 document sent to political leadership that warned of security vulnerabilities at the crossing. The memo said that beyond security risks from unmonitored goods entering Gaza, Hamas was directly collecting taxes and customs on shipments, with some items going to military purposes.

Data cited by the IDF shows the volume of trucks that entered Gaza through Rafah in the years before the war: 7,486 trucks in 2020, approximately 13,895 in 2021, and more than 24,000 in 2022, all without Israeli inspection or control.

"Israel doesn't have complete information about the contents of the trucks that entered during those years," a senior security official said. From the security establishment's perspective, any such truck could have been used to transfer combat equipment without oversight or advance knowledge, the official added.

The 2021 document was sent on June 6, during Benjamin Netanyahu's tenure as prime minister. A week later, the Bennett-Lapid government was sworn in with Naftali Bennett as prime minister. Defense Minister Benny Gantz served in both governments.

Military officials say allowing unrestricted cargo through Rafah without Israeli monitoring would enable Hamas to rebuild its capabilities and collect revenue directly from cross-border trade.