Senior officials at the political level are trying to find ways to put pressure on Egypt regarding the "Philadelphia axis"
YONI BEN-MENACHEM -- The working assumption is that if Egypt agrees to the IDF staying on the axis, it will be easier to convince Hamas to move towards a deal. In Jerusalem, it is estimated that only a cease-fire agreement, or the physical elimination of Yahya Sinwar, can reduce tensions with Egypt.
Tensions between Israel and Egypt since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip have reached a new peak after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to withdraw from the "Philadelphia Axis" on the Gaza border with Egypt, which serves as Hamas' oxygen conduit for smuggling weapons from the Sinai Peninsula into the Gaza Strip.
According to security sources, all parties - Israel, Hamas and the mediators Qatar and Egypt - are now waiting for the new American compromise proposal, but expectations are low. The chance of a hostage deal and a ceasefire is extremely slim.
