Mediators plan to move ahead with a summit next week pursuing a cease-fire agreement in Gaza, Israeli officials said on Friday, after Israeli security chiefs sought to obtain Egyptian consent for a postwar Israeli presence along Gaza’s border with Egypt.
Hamas has repeatedly rejected the idea of an Israeli presence in the border area, saying that any deal to stop the war must involve Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza.
Egypt, as a neighboring country and a mediator in the truce talks with a significant stake in the war’s outcome, is also key to reaching a truce agreement.
The government has said that keeping Israeli troops at its Gaza border could raise national security concerns and potentially threaten Egyptian-Israeli relations.
Egypt also says it has already taken aggressive action to destroy tunnels and stop smuggling.
Persons:
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel
Organizations:
Hamas
Locations:
Gaza, Egypt, Israel, Qatar, United States