EU prepared to restart Gaza border mission after truce

The European Union's top diplomat says the bloc is ready to redeploy a monitoring mission to Rafah after a ceasefire agreement to end Israel's war on Gaza. 

Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told journalists on Friday “we are ready to do it”, following a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa in Brussels.

According to Kallas, the bloc would need an invitation from the two sides as well as approval from Egypt before the assistance mission could go ahead. 

The EU border assistance mission to the Rafah crossing point, EUBAM Rafah, has been closed since Israel invaded Rafah on 7 May.

EUBAM Rafah was previously in charge of monitoring the crossing from 2005 to June 2007, when it announced a temporary suspension of operations after Egypt closed the crossing following Hamas's takeover of the Gaza Strip.