London-based Arab news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported Wednesday that Egypt officially notified Israel via diplomatic channels it was displeased with the map shown by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his press conference on Monday.
According to the outlet, the dissatisfaction stemmed from the fact the Philadelphi Corridor was depicted as a military zone on the map which contradicts the Camp David Accords which led to the peace agreement between the countries in 1979.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the press conference
(Photo: AP /Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)
The Qatari newspaper claimed negotiations took place between Israeli and Egyptian officials prior to the press conference, during which Netanyahu conveyed to Cairo he was willing to negotiate over the Philadelphi Corridor issue in the second phase of talks on a hostage deal and cease-fire with Hamas in Gaza.
Egyptian officials, however, refused and stressed that they would only accept a commitment to withdraw the IDF from the route without negotiating the area’s eventual outcome.
This report follows another publication released on Tuesday saying that the U.S. was also displeased with Netanyahu's remarks during his press conference. "This doesn't help us," an American official said. The mediators involved in the negotiation talks also expressed confusion over Netanyahu's statements.
Sources familiar with the negotiations said there was a difference between what Netanyahu said during the press conference and the maps presented by the negotiation team during the talks.
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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)
Israel has indicated it’s willing to consider a full withdrawal from the route in phase two of the deal, but Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is expected to reject a proposal that includes such a clause because he doesn't believe the deal will reach that stage. Therefore, he’s demanding a full withdrawal during the first phase.
Sources familiar with the matter said the new mediation proposal might not necessarily come from the U.S. but possibly from Qatar. Another possibility assumes the proposal will be a joint effort by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt. The proposal is expected to be submitted by the end of the week at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the UAE's Foreign Ministry released a statement on Wednesday expressing “solidarity with Egypt following Israel's accusations regarding the Philadelphi Corridor.”
The statement described these accusations as "offensive declarations that threaten stability and exacerbate the situation in the region." Egypt, for its part, denies Israel's accusations saying the route facilitated massive arms smuggling from Sinai to Gaza over the years, claiming it had destroyed numerous tunnels along its border with Gaza over the past decade.
Egypt strongly opposes any Israeli presence on the Philadelphi Corridor or Rafah crossing, arguing it constitutes a violation of the peace treaty between the countries. In 1978, the Camp David Accords were signed by U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.