Barak Ravid – Axios
President Biden asked Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu during their call on Wednesday to agree to pull Israeli forces back from part of the Egypt-Gaza border during the first phase of the hostage-release and ceasefire in Gaza deal so negotiations on the deal can move forward, three Israeli officials said.
Why it matters: Netanyahu’s demand that the IDF continue to be deployed along the Philadelphi corridor on the border of Egypt and Gaza during the first phase of the deal has become one of the main — and final — points of contention on the way to an agreement.
- The Israeli officials said Netanyahu partially accepted Biden’s request and agreed to give up one Israeli position along the border.
Behind the scenes: Biden asked Netanyahu during their call to soften his position and agree to withdraw IDF forces from a small part of the Philadelphi corridor during the implementation of the first phase of the deal, the Israeli officials said.
- The Israeli officials said Biden asked for Israeli forces to be pulled out from a 1- to 2-kilometer strip along the Egypt-Gaza border.
- The area is close to the Rafah coast and adjacent to the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, where a large number of displaced Palestinians are sheltering.
- The Israeli officials said Biden told Netanyahu that agreeing to this may contribute to advancing the negotiations towards a deal.
Netanyahu’s partial agreement resulted in the U.S. supporting the Israeli position that other IDF forces remain along the Philadelphi corridor in the first phase of the deal, an Israeli official said.
- The Israeli official said that after the U.S. backed Israel’s position, Egypt then had to agree to deliver the proposed maps with the updated IDF deployment to Hamas.
- Israeli officials said they don’t think Hamas will agree to the new maps with a slightly reduced IDF deployment.
What they’re saying: A Netanyahu aide said the prime minister agreed to change the location of one IDF position and move it by only a few hundred meters, “in a way that does not harm operational control” along the Philadelphi corridor.
- “The IDF is deployed all along the Philadelphi corrdior. The prime minister stands by the principle that this situation will continue,” the aide said.
- A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said: “We do not comment on diplomatic discussions and those doing so secondhand jeopardize efforts to conclude an agreement and bring the hostages home. On all issues, our position is clear and firm that the terms of the deal must be implemented in full. Nothing more and nothing less.”
The latest: White House spokesperson John Kirby said CIA director Bill Burns arrived in Cairo on Friday and joined the ongoing talks between the U.S., Israel and Egypt on the deal to release hostages being held by Hamas and establish a ceasefire in Gaza.
- “The process is moving forward. It is important that all sides, including Hamas, participate and that the parties continue to work towards implementation and conclusion of the details,” Kirby told reporters in a briefing.
- “There are early signs that yesterday’s talks were constructive and we want to continue this momentum,” he said.
Zoom in: During the talks in Cairo on Thursday, Israel and Egypt narrowed the gaps between them regarding the deployment of IDF forces along the Philadelphi corridor, a senior Israeli official said.
- The Egyptians strongly opposed the continued deployment of IDF forces along the border. The issue has been a sticking point for Egypt that has prevented further negotiations with Hamas on the hostage and ceasefire deal.
- The head of the Israeli Shin Bet Ronen Bar, the director of Mossad David Barnea and the head of the strategic division of the IDF Gen. Eliezer Toledano participated in the meeting with the Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and other Egyptian officials.
- President Biden’s top Middle East adviser Brett McGurk also participated in the talks.
A senior Israeli official said that during the talks, Israel gave Egypt proposed maps of the IDF deployment in the Gaza Strip during the first phase of the deal’s implementation, including along the Philadelphia corridor.
- The Israeli official said progress was made with the Egyptians, who are expected to deliver the Israeli maps to Hamas on Saturday in order to receive the organization’s response.
What to watch: Another round of negotiations is expected to take place in Cairo on Sunday with Burns, the Prime Minister of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and senior officials from Israel and Egypt.
- A senior Israeli official said Israel hopes Hamas will respond to the Israeli maps and agree to join the negotiations so the mediators can conduct proximity talks between the parties in real-time and move forward towards a deal.
