Tel Aviv, MINA – Amidst the deadlock in ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations with Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains adamant about retaining control over the Philadelphia Corridor in southern Gaza along the Egyptian border.
“The Prime Minister has not changed his position on the need for Israeli control and presence in the Philadelphia Corridor,” said public broadcaster KAN on Thursday, citing Israeli political sources, Anadolu Agency reports.
Earlier, Netanyahu had a phone call on Wednesday with US President Joe Biden.
The call took place as negotiators prepare to reconvene in Cairo, Egypt, over the weekend.
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According to a US official last week, the meeting in Cairo will seek to resolve the months-long deadlock in talks.
The Washington Post, citing an unnamed US government source, reported that during the call, Netanyahu mentioned a map detailing Israel’s presence along the Philadelphia Corridor and near the Egypt-Gaza border.
However, Israeli sources have denied any change in Netanyahu’s position regarding the corridor.
“There will be no agreement as long as there is insistence on deploying forces along that axis,” KAN reported, citing sources familiar with the discussions.
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“Israel’s proposed options in private relate to reducing the number of troops, not their location,” the broadcaster added.
“Mediator countries are frustrated because Israel’s plan is Hamas’s red line, and Hamas’s plan is Israel’s red line,” the broadcaster stated.
The latest round of mediated negotiations concluded on August 16 in Doha, Qatar, with the US presenting what the White House described as a “final bridging proposal” for Israel and Hamas, claiming that the proposal aligns with the principles supported by Biden on May 31.
However, the details of the proposal remain confidential.
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Hamas has since rejected the proposal, stating that it aligns with Netanyahu’s new conditions. (T/RE1/P2)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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