Israel insists on military control of the Philadelphia border axis with Egypt (Reuters)
Israeli Army Radio said on Thursday that Tel Aviv and Cairo are close to reaching understandings regarding the city of Rafah and the Philadelphia axis on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, while Cairo did not comment on that.
The radio added that after recent weeks witnessed continuous dialogue between the two parties on security levels; Sources familiar with the details confirm that there is a rapprochement on the path to finding solutions to the sensitive issues raised, according to Anadolu Agency.
She explained that “according to estimates, Israel has committed to Egypt not to work in the Rafah area (south of the Gaza Strip), before allowing the large population there (about a million people) to evacuate the area, in order to reduce the risks of waves of Palestinian refugees flowing from Gaza to Egyptian territory, and this "It is the main concern of Egyptians."
The radio said that Israel has not yet decided where it will move the residents, but there are two options on the table: evacuating them to the northern Gaza Strip, which requires a political decision (..) or Khan Yunis (south) after the Israeli army finishes the intensive military operation there.
Since the start of the devastating Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced from the north and center of the Gaza Strip to its south, following the destruction of thousands of homes. Therefore, the city of Rafah has become the most crowded.
On the other hand, Army Radio indicated that “the conclusion that emerges regarding the Philadelphia axis is that Israel will have a certain influence on what is happening along the axis, but without a permanent physical presence of Israeli forces.”
“Such Israeli influence could be through the technological means that will be installed along Philadelphia,” she said.
The radio added, "A Gulf Arab country has expressed its willingness to finance the construction of the underground wall against the smuggling tunnels that cross from Gaza to Egypt, but on the condition that Cairo approves the entire step."
Egypt has not officially commented - yet - on what was reported by Army Radio.
On Tuesday, the American website Axios said that the director of the Israeli General Security Service (Shin Bet), Ronen Bar, visited Cairo on Monday, and discussed with the head of the Egyptian Intelligence Service, Abbas Kamel, the file of the Philadelphia border axis.
The visit came amid tension in relations between Egypt and Israel against the backdrop of statements by Israeli officials confirming their intention to launch a military operation on the border and control the Philadelphia axis, which was strongly rejected by Egypt.
The Philadelphia Axis, also called the Salah al-Din Axis, is within a buffer zone under the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel in 1979. Its width does not exceed hundreds of meters, and it extends along the Gaza border with Egypt for a length of 14.5 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea to the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed on more than one occasion that it was necessary to take military control of it.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli army has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, which as of Wednesday left 26,900 martyrs and 65,949 injured, most of them children and women, according to the Palestinian authorities, and caused massive destruction and an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, according to the United Nations.
Source: Israeli press + Anadolu Agency