Obstacle on the Path to a Deal: Egypt Sets New Conditions for Israel

As Israel and Hamas have yet to agree on the clause in the proposal regarding whether IDF forces will remain in the Philadelphia Corridor during the ceasefire, it has been reported that Egypt has retreated on the matter. The core of the dispute between Hamas and Israel regarding the hostage release deal centers on the Philadelphia Corridor and whether IDF forces will stay or withdraw. For now, Israel insists on maintaining its military presence in the area for several crucial reasons.

Yesterday (Monday), an Egyptian official denied that Cairo had agreed to any Israeli presence in the Philadelphia Corridor. However, today, the newspaper "Al-Akhbar," which is affiliated with Hezbollah, reported from its sources that Egypt "will not oppose" the continued Israeli presence in the corridor "without a legal framework that enjoys Egypt's consent." According to the report, Egypt will treat the current situation as "legal violations" and will not grant Israel written or verbal approval regarding the presence of its forces. Nonetheless, this arrangement would be acceptable to Israel.

The sources claimed that the most important issue for Egypt at the moment is the situation at the Rafah crossing and border coordination, in addition to the role of the Palestinian Authority in managing the crossing in the near future, in partnership with the European Union.