The Israeli negotiation team to the hostage deal and cease-fire talks in Cairo, led by Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, returned to Israel on Thursday after presenting Egypt with updated proposals regarding the IDF's presence on the Philadelphi Corridor and Rafah crossing. Hamas is expected to receive these updated proposals on Saturday.
Sources familiar with the matter said the meetings in Cairo were conducted in a positive and productive atmosphere and that gaps have been narrowed to facilitate an effective and swift summit on Sunday. The sources also mentioned that the work on preparing the new clauses and addressing issues related to advancing the hostage deal had been completed.
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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, terror tunnel found in the Philadelphi Corridor, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: Saudi Press Agency/Handout / Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP, IDF Spokesperson's Unit, REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
Meanwhile, the mediators continue to prepare for the summit set for Sunday. It’s still unclear whether Hamas will attend the summit. Even should they attend, it’s unknown if they’ll agree to negotiate or only present a negative response. CIA Director Bill Burns is expected to arrive in Egypt ahead of the summit.
On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal revealed new details about the disagreement between Israel and Egypt regarding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's demand to maintain a military presence on the Philadelphi Corridor in order to prevent arms smuggling to Hamas if a deal is reached.
The Egyptian government strongly opposes this, demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from the area aligning with Hamas’ wishes. This disagreement poses a significant obstacle to the American effort to promote a deal.
Egyptian officials told the Wall Street Journal that the Israeli negotiation team recently proposed establishing eight watch towers along the route. The U.S. offered a compromise of only two towers, but Egypt rejected both proposals, arguing that any number of watch towers along the route would grant Israel a military foothold in the area.
Egypt refuses the Israeli presence, claiming it violates the 1979 peace treaty with Israel — a claim that Jerusalem denies. The peace agreement limits the number of forces Israel or Egypt can deploy along their border and it stipulated that the IDF could not deploy tanks, artillery systems or anti-aircraft systems along the Philadelphi Corridor.
According to the report, the Egyptians are also concerned they will be perceived as collaborators with the Israeli "occupation" of the Gaza Strip if they agree to any Israeli presence in the area.