During the strategic review of the EUBAM Rafah mission, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy proposed that this mission be extended by one year, until 30 June 2021, while maintaining “the readiness of the mission to redeploy to the Rafah crossing point as soon as political and security conditions allow”.
While there is “no short- or medium-term prospect for the mission to redeploy to the Rafah Crossing Point (RCP) and fulfil its initial confidence-building role”, the High Representative believes that “the situation in the region remains dynamic and subject to unexpected developments” and that it is thus necessary to extend the mandate in its current form.
“EUBAM Rafah should remain ready to redeploy to the crossing point as soon as political and security conditions allow. To this end, the mission is expected to maintain its situational awareness and assess the conditions that need to be jointly met to enable redeployment”, i.e., the Palestinian Authority taking charge of security governance in the Gaza Strip, Egypt’s keeping the Rafah Crossing Point open, and the Palestinian and Israeli authorities’ political will for the mission to fulfil its role, as detailed in the strategic review.
EUBAM Rafah—which has been on standby since 2007 and which “has limited autonomous capacity”—has, however, created synergies with the EU and other international donors and has achieved tangible results by providing capacity to the Palestinian border agency in Jericho as part of the Palestinian Authority’s readiness project. “By combining an intelligent, coherent strategy for mission support with a considerable level of support from the Palestinian counterpart, EUBAM Rafah successfully pursued its objectives”, the review assesses.
In 2019, the RCP remained open five days a week, 20 days a month on average. According to EUBAM estimates, approximately 65,000 people left Gaza and 60,000 returned to Gaza between June and October. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)