Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Israeli sources anticipate that Egypt will receive the newly appointed Israeli ambassador in Cairo, provided that the ceasefire in Gaza continues to hold despite ongoing, limited Israeli violations in the region. So far, Egypt has refrained from officially receiving the new ambassador amid heightened tensions between the two countries due to the ongoing war. There is also speculation that part of Egypt’s military presence near Gaza may be withdrawn if Israel fully pulls its forces from the Philadelphi Corridor and the Gaza Strip.
According to the Israeli news outlet Bhol, relations between Egypt and Israel appear to be moving toward gradual improvement, citing several signs, most notably the reopening of official diplomatic communication channels between the two countries. These are expected to resume operations formally next week.
The report explains that Egypt has made its diplomatic “re-engagement” conditional upon the continued enforcement of the ceasefire and the avoidance of further escalation. Another key condition is the reopening of the Rafah border crossing in the coming days.
While Cairo has not yet accepted the Israeli ambassador due to the fallout from the conflict and strained bilateral relations, the report indicates that if the current period of relative calm continues despite sporadic Israeli breaches, Egypt will likely proceed with formally accepting the ambassador. However, the ambassador will not participate in any meetings between President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the foreign diplomatic corps until further notice.
Israeli political analyst and journalist Roy Case (Roy Kais), speaking on Israel’s public broadcaster Kan 11, noted that senior Egyptian officials have ruled out any further steps toward diplomatic normalization for the time being at least until after the upcoming Israeli elections.
Kais attributed Egypt’s stance to the current Israeli government’s inability to make decisive moves regarding a two-state solution, a policy firmly backed by Cairo. He also pointed to Israel’s failure to ensure consistent delivery of humanitarian aid to all areas of Gaza, despite the ongoing flow of such assistance, and highlighted Israel’s gradual military withdrawal from the territory.
Separately, Kan reported ongoing discussions about the possible withdrawal of Egyptian forces stationed along the Gaza border. This potential move is reportedly being considered in tandem with Israel’s withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor, possibly paving the way for a full Israeli pullout from Gaza.
