Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to obstruct efforts by mediators to bring about a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said.
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On Monday, Netanyahu announced the need for Israeli military control in the Philadelphia Corridor on the border of the Gaza Strip and Egypt. According to the Israeli Prime Minister, without this it is impossible to achieve either the goals of the war or the return of the hostages.
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“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its total rejection of the statements of the Israeli Prime Minister on September 2, who tried through them to use the name of Egypt to distract the attention of public opinion in Israel and create obstacles to the ceasefire deal and the exchange of hostages and detainees and the mediation efforts that are being undertaken Egypt, Qatar and the United States,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
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The statement notes that such statements “further aggravate the situation and are aimed at justifying aggressive and inflammatory policies leading to even greater escalation in the region.”
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Egypt has previously stated that it considers Israel’s presence on the Palestinian side of the Rafah checkpoint and in the Philadelphia Corridor on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt unacceptable.
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The main point on which mutual understanding cannot be reached is Israel’s demand to maintain its presence at the Philadelphia Line and at the border crossings on the Egyptian border, including Rafah.
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The Hamas leadership considers such conditions unacceptable and demands the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.
