U.S. President Joe Biden asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their telephone conversation on Wednesday to agree to the withdrawal of Israeli troops from part of the Egypt-Gaza border in the first phase of the agreement on the release of hostages and ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, so that negotiations on the agreement could move forward. Three Israeli officials said this, reports UNN citing Ahios.
The publication notes that Netanyahu's demand that the IDF continue to deploy along the Philadelphi corridor on the Egypt-Gaza border in the first phase of the agreement was one of the main - and last - points of disagreement on the way to the agreement.
Israeli officials said Netanyahu partially accepted Biden's request and agreed to give up one Israeli position along the border.
According to media reports, Biden asked Netanyahu during their phone conversation to soften his stance and agree to the withdrawal of IDF troops from a small part of the Philadelphia corridor during the implementation of the first phase of the agreement, Israeli officials said.
Israeli officials said Biden asked for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from a 1-2 kilometer-wide strip along Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip.
The area is near the coast of Rafah and is adjacent to the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood, where a large number of displaced Palestinians are sheltering.
Israeli officials said Biden told Netanyahu that agreeing to do so could help move negotiations toward an agreement.
Netanyahu's partial agreement led the U.S. to support Israel's position that other IDF forces remain along the Philadelphia corridor in the first phase of the agreement, an Israeli official said.
The Israeli official said that after the U.S. supported Israel's position, Egypt should have agreed to provide the proposed maps with updated IDF deployments to Hamas.
Israeli officials said they did not think Hamas would agree to new maps with a slightly reduced IDF deployment.
A Netanyahu aide said the prime minister agreed to change the location of one IDF position and move it only a few hundred meters, “in a way that does not compromise operational control” along the Philadelphia corridor.
“The IDF army is deployed along the entire Philadelphia corridor. The Prime Minister is sticking to the principle that this situation will continue,” the aide said.
A White House National Security Council spokesman said: “We do not comment on diplomatic discussions, and those who do so second-hand 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 honored in full. No more, no less.
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White House spokesman John Kirby said CIA Director Bill Burns arrived in Cairo on Friday and joined ongoing talks between the U.S., Israel and Egypt on an agreement to release hostages held by Hamas and establish a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
“The process is moving forward. It is important that all parties, including Hamas, participate and that the parties continue to work to implement and finalize the details,” Kirby told reporters at a briefing.
“There are early indications that yesterday's talks were constructive and we want to continue that momentum,” he said.
During talks in Cairo on Thursday, Israel and Egypt narrowed the gap between them over the deployment of IDF forces along the Philadelphi corridor, a senior Israeli official said.
According to media reports, another round of talks is expected to take place in Cairo on Sunday with Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdel Rahman Al-Thani and senior officials from Israel and Egypt.
A senior Israeli official said Israel hopes Hamas will respond to Israeli cards and agree to join the talks so that mediators can hold indirect talks between the sides in real time and move toward an agreement.