Gaza Airport: A sign of Palestinian independence is almost ready
The joint Palestinian-Israeli Committee to discuss arrangements to operate the Palestinian Airport in Rafah has reached a major agreement on a number of issues while others are still to be negotiated, Palestinian sources said.
The sources noted that the security procedures at the Gaza International Airport have remained the leading point of dispute between the PNA and Israel. Israel, the sources said, maintains that security control in the airport area should remain exclusively in Israel hands while the PNA rejects such a demand, viewed by Palestinians as an attempt by Israel to prevent any future independent operation of the airport.
Palestinian sources involved in negotiations on the airport have disclosed that the PNA is ready for a joint security action with Israel in the airport but only for an interim period. The sources said that the airport is seen by the Palestinians as a sign of sovereignty and therefore they would not be ready to give in to Israeli demands of having utmost security control over the airport area. Israel, the sources said, demands to have the right to sign bilateral air transport agreements with foreign countries while the PNA insists that it is its full right to do so. They added that Israel also demands to set up a radar station at the airport and rejects Palestinian demands to enlarge the airport area towards the borders of neighbouring village of Dhahiniyeh.
However, some procedural issues had already been agreed upon between the Palestinian and Israeli negotiations including naming the airport Gaza International Airport, landing and takeoff procedures, the right of Palestinian aviation controllers to contact planes and guide them untill the international borders, operating the airport on a 24-hour a day basis throughout the whole year, except for the Day of Attonement in Judaism when everything in Israel is entirely paralyzed. The sources added that both sides agreed to have a liaison aviation office for Israeli aviation controllers at the control tower
.