Shin Bet chief David Zini confirmed during a Cabinet meeting Sunday that Gazans crossing through the Rafah Border Crossing are receiving passport stamps marked “State of Palestine,” a designation associated with official Palestinian Authority (PA) documents, according to officials present at the meeting.
Zini’s statement came in response to a question from Settlements and National Missions Minister Orit Strock, who has repeatedly raised concerns about the use of PA-linked stamps at the crossing and what she describes as de facto Palestinian Authority involvement in Rafah’s operation since early 2025 as part of a previous hostages-for-ceasefire agreement.
Minister Ze’ev Elkin, responsible for Negev and Galilee development, also questioned whether the PA is funding the salaries of Rafah crossing personnel. In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly asked to explore the possibility of changing the passport stamp to reflect “Board of Peace,” a body proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump as part of his Gaza peace plan.
Tensions over perceived Palestinian Authority symbols escalated last week after the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) released a new logo featuring the PA emblem. The design sparked backlash on Israeli social media and prompted a clarification from the Prime Minister’s Office, saying the logo presented to Israel was “entirely different” from the one published online. “Israel will not accept the use of a Palestinian Authority symbol; the Palestinian Authority will have no part in the administration of Gaza,” the statement said.
In the past, the PA issued internal directives instructing officials to use “State of Palestine” instead of “Palestinian Authority” on official documents. Still, most official stamps and letterhead continue to use “Palestinian Authority.”
The Shin Bet declined to comment on the substance of the Cabinet discussions, saying only: “We do not respond to closed-door meeting content.”