Negotiations between Israel and Egypt to secure the Gaza-Egypt border and prevent Hamas from rearming by smuggling weapons through tunnels under Rafah crossing have hit an impasse, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal.
Per the report, Israel wants the ability to not only put sensors at the border detecting any unusual tunnelling or underground activity, but also that Egypt should immediately notify Israel of detection and allow for them to fly drones in the area to monitor it. Egypt reportedly rejected the idea of direct notification and drones as violations of its sovereignty.
Until 2005, Israel had direct control of the Rafah crossing and what is known in Israel as the "Philadelphi corridor" into Gaza. During the Disengagement from the Gaza Strip, the IDF relinquished control of this artery, which was then taken over by Hamas a few years later along with the rest of the Strip.
According to multiple IDF sources speaking to a variety of outlets, shutting down this massive transportation artery is key to preventing Hamas from rearming or recovering from the current war.
However, unlike the central and northern Gaza Strip, Israel does not and cannot have a free hand to operate around Rafah against Hamas due to the Egyptian presence in the area. Hence the negotiations, which are currently at an impasse.
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