A senior political source stated a short time ago today (Wednesday) that the Israeli team has provided an update on negotiations, saying that Hamas added demands at the last minute - this time regarding the IDF deployment along the Philadelphi axis, contradicting plans approved by the cabinet and American mediators.
The source said that Israel utterly opposes any change in the maps and that the Prime Minister will not bend any more on the matter.
According to reports, the IDF will maintain a diminished presence along the Philadephi corridor dividing the Gaza Strip and Egypt and will entirely withdraw from the area on the last day of the ceasefire stipulated by the first phase of the hostage deal, assuming it is fully implemented on both sides.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a presentation to the foreign press months ago explaining why Israel must have physical control of the axis, as it is easily used for smuggling large numbers of weapons and material to make weapons and could potentially be used to smuggle hostages to Egypt and beyond.
Hamas has repeatedly given equivocal answers regarding a hostage deal, often "going dark" when Yahya Sinwar was in charge for weeks at a time, or adding new conditions at the last second. It has also consistently demanded that the deal ultimately end in the IDF's complete withdrawal and an end to the war.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in an interview he gave following the election, stated that Hamas was responsible for the failure to achieve a hostage deal thus far, and that while Israel has sometimes added conditions, these were for its security.
Both President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump are hoping for a deal before the inauguration on January 20 - Biden for his legacy from his time in office, and Trump as a big achievement to present to the public on day one of his administration.
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