Gaza's Border Reopens: What's the Catch?

Israel is planning to control the flow of people in and out of Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. This crossing is the main way for the 2 million people living in Gaza to enter or leave. The border is expected to open soon, but Israel wants to make sure more people leave Gaza than enter. Israel has not yet said how they will control the number of people coming into Gaza. They also have not said what the exact ratio of people leaving to entering will be. Israeli officials have talked about encouraging Palestinians to leave Gaza, but they say they do not want to force anyone out.The Rafah Crossing will be run by Palestinians who work with the Palestinian Authority and will be watched by people from the European Union. Israel also wants to set up a military checkpoint inside Gaza. Everyone entering or leaving Gaza would have to go through this checkpoint and be checked by Israeli soldiers. It is not clear what will happen if Israel stops someone from passing through the checkpoint. Some Israeli officials say the border should not open until Hamas returns the body of an Israeli police officer. This officer was taken during the conflict. The U. S. is leading the plan to end the war in Gaza. They have a plan with different phases. In the first phase, Israel pulled back some of its forces but still controls most of the border. Nearly all of Gaza's population lives in the area controlled by Hamas. Many people are living in tents or damaged buildings.