Summary
The reopening of the Rafah crossing has revived debate over the symbolic and political implications of passport stamps used there. A stamp bearing the name and symbols of a “State of Palestine” is viewed as reinforcing claims of statehood and authority over Gaza. Past agreements required a Palestinian stamp but did not specify its wording or design, and later political changes have complicated their relevance. Replacing the stamp with a neutral marking or digital record is suggested to avoid implied recognition while preserving border management functions.
Key Takeaways
- The use of a “State of Palestine” stamp at the Rafah crossing is presented as a symbolic act that reinforces claims of Palestinian statehood and control over Gaza.
- Existing agreements, prior to the October 7 Massacre, required a Palestinian stamp but did not define its content, and subsequent political developments have altered the governing framework.
- Removing or replacing the stamp with a neutral or digital alternative is proposed to prevent perceived political recognition while maintaining border procedures.
After more than a year, following the return of all the hostages held by terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, and as part of the implementation of the ceasefire plan formulated and advanced by President Trump, the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt has now been reopened for the passage of people.
The reopening of the crossing raises extremely complex security issues, including the ability to prevent the smuggling of weapons and terrorists into and out of the Strip. Alongside these clear security dangers, however, lies another threat no less significant. This threat presents itself as a minor and simple matter, in the form of a crossing stamp. But behind this small stamp lies a substantial danger, and the State of Israel must address it without further delay.
According to reports, the travel documents of those entering and exiting through the Rafah crossing are being stamped with a seal bearing the inscription “State of Palestine,” alongside a “Palestine” flag.
Through this stamp, the Palestinian actors operating the crossing under the umbrella of the Trump plan are attempting to create a false reality, namely, that those entering and leaving the Gaza Strip are doing so from a state that does not exist.
The use of this stamp, together with the use of the Palestinian Authority emblem as the symbol of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG),1 reinforces the narrative that the Palestinian Authority (PA), having transformed itself into a state, controls the crossing, and does so in the name of the “State of Palestine.”
There is no reason for the State of Israel to agree to this reality. The “State of Palestine” does not exist, and the Palestinian Authority should not play any role whatsoever in the administration of Gaza.
If, however, Israel turns a blind eye to this matter, as it has too often done in the face of the PA, this will be a mistake with long-term consequences, and we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
The Stamp at the Rafah Crossing
Prior to the Oslo Accords, Israel controlled the crossings between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. During that period, travel documents were stamped by the military government.
Within the framework of the Oslo Accords and the transfer of authority from Israel to the Palestinian Authority, entry and exit arrangements for Gaza (and for Judea and Samaria via Jordan) were regulated in Annex I and Appendix V of the Interim Agreement of September 1995.2
Regarding entry, it was determined that once a person’s entry from Egypt into Gaza (or from Jordan into Judea and Samaria) was approved on security grounds, the individual would receive a stamp from the Palestinian side. Section VIII(3)(h), under the heading “Arrangements for Entry from Egypt and Jordan Through the Palestinian Wing,” states:
The Palestinian side will provide passengers whose entry is approved with an entry permit stamped by the Palestinian side and attached to their documents.
With respect to exit, Section VIII(4), under the heading “Arrangements for Exit to Egypt and Jordan Through the Palestinian Wing,” provides that the same procedures applicable to entry would apply in reverse order.
Although the annex repeatedly referred to the need for a “stamp,” it did not specify the form, appearance, or content of the stamp.
This arrangement remained in place until Israel’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip in 2005. It was then replaced by a new agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, reflected in the “Agreed Documents on Movement and Access from and to Gaza,” dated November 15, 2005.3
Under that arrangement, the PA was to operate the Rafah crossing:
Rafah will be operated by the Palestinian Authority.4
However, following the January 2006 Palestinian elections and Hamas’s victory, and especially after Hamas’s takeover of Gaza in 2007, the agreements between Israel and the PA regarding Gaza collapsed—both those of Oslo and those of 2005. The PA’s lack of involvement at Rafah was evident when the PA Prime Minister complained that Hamas was keeping all crossing revenues and not sharing them.5
Following the October 7 massacre, and in light of the recognition that the PA promotes terrorism, incites terrorism, rewards terrorism, calls for the destruction of Israel, and perpetuates the “right of return” narrative, a broad understanding emerged that the PA must not be given any future role in Gaza’s administration.
As Prime Minister Netanyahu stated on November 18, 2023:
Gaza will never again threaten Israeli citizens. I will not agree that any entity that supports terrorism, pays terrorists and their families, and educates its children to murder Jews and eliminate the State of Israel will enter it. Without such a transformation in the civil administration of Gaza, it is only a matter of time before Gaza returns to terrorism, and I will not agree to that.6
He has reiterated this position many times.
The Trump Plan
President Trump’s plan for achieving a ceasefire, securing the release of all hostages, and rehabilitating Gaza was launched in September 2025 and adopted by the UN in October 2025.7
Beyond the ceasefire and hostage release, the plan established several frameworks, foremost among them the Board of Peace (BoP). Under it operates the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), tasked with Gaza’s day-to-day governance.
The plan explicitly states that the Palestinian Authority will have no role in Gaza’s administration until it completes a comprehensive reform program.
It further clarifies that only after such reforms are faithfully carried out could conditions be created for a credible pathway toward Palestinian self-determination and statehood.
Thus, even as adopted by the UN, the plan acknowledges that no Palestinian state currently exists.
Substantive Difficulties
The requirement for a Palestinian stamp originated in the Oslo Accords and the 2005 disengagement arrangement.
In 2012, the PLO sought UN recognition of a “State of Palestine,” in blatant violation of the Oslo Accords. While full membership was blocked at the Security Council, the UN General Assembly granted Palestine non-member observer state status. The PA subsequently changed its official designation from “Palestinian National Authority” to “State of Palestine.”
Although Israel did not cancel the Oslo Accords in response to these violations, continued use of a “State of Palestine” stamp – especially after October 7 – could imply Israeli acquiescence to PA control over Gaza, even symbolically. This contradicts the Prime Minister’s publicly supported policy and undermines it in practice.
Recommendation for Action
In the current era of computerized border systems, a physical stamp carries no real operational significance. Its meaning is symbolic and declarative – it reflects who controls the territory.
The October 7 massacre created a new reality in Gaza and effectively erased prior arrangements, including the Oslo Agreements and post-disengagement understandings. The Israeli government must express this change consistently.
Ideally, as an expression of Israeli control, travel documents should be stamped by the State of Israel. However, given international sensitivities, alternative solutions are possible.
For example, all symbols of Palestinian Authority or “State of Palestine” control should be removed. Instead of an Israeli stamp, documents could simply bear a neutral marking such as “Entry Approved” or “Exit Approved” – nothing more.
Alternatively, given digital border systems, approval could be recorded electronically without any physical stamp at all.
Preliminary Note Before Conclusion
Under the Oslo Accords, Israel recognized the PA’s authority to issue passports. Gaza residents traveling to Egypt who lack other passports use PA-issued passports.
If the PA stamp is removed, a comprehensive review must examine alternatives to these passports. If they bear the title “State of Palestine,” this issue becomes even more urgent.
Final Note
Some argue that “international law” requires PA-stamped travel documents. This claim has no basis. Anyone who has traveled recently to the United States, the United Kingdom, or other countries knows that physical passport stamping has largely disappeared, replaced by digital entry and exit records.
Moreover, international law does not regulate this matter at all. It leaves each state free to determine what documents and stamps are required for entry and exit.
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Notes
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https://www.gov.il/en/pages/the-israeli-palestinian-interim-agreement-annex-i↩︎
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https://www.gov.il/en/pages/agreed-documents-on-movement-and-access-from-and-to-gaza-15-nov-2005↩︎
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Under the headline “Agreed Principles for Rafah Crossing“↩︎
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https://he.jcfa.org/%d7%9e%d7%a6%d7%92-%d7%94%d7%a9%d7%95%d7%95%d7%90-%d7%95%d7%94%d7%94%d7%98%d7%a2%d7%99%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%94%d7%a4%d7%9c%d7%a1%d7%98%d7%99%d7%a0%d7%99%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%91%d7%99%d7%97%d7%a1-%d7%9c%d7%94/↩︎
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https://docs.un.org/en/s/res/2803(2025)↩︎
