BRUSSELS, 22 November 2005 — The European Union formally agreed yesterday to set up a mission to oversee the border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt at Rafah, EU foreign ministers said in a statement.
“The Council ... decides to launch, as a matter of urgency, a ... mission to monitor the operations of the Rafah border crossing point and welcomes the provision of EU assistance to reinforce Palestinian border management capacities,” it said.
The mission to supervise the work of Palestinian customs and security officers is the most important undertaken by the EU in its role as a member of the Quartet — with Russia, the United States and the United Nations — seeking Middle East peace.
The decision follows an agreement on movement and access between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, brokered last week by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The Israelis and Palestinians both asked the EU to send 50-70 monitors as a confidence building measure. An advance unit will be in place by Friday to allow an initial part-time opening of the crossing for 500 people per day.
