Barnea and Bar head to Cairo for new round of Gaza talks

Netanyahu’s spokesman, Omer Dostri, said that Barnea and Bar “are currently in Cairo, where they are negotiating to advance an agreement to release the hostages held in the Gaza Strip,” while an American delegation is also expected to arrive to participate in the negotiations.

Netanyahu’s office denied reports that it was considering deploying international forces in the Philadelphi Corridor on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, saying in a statement that “reports that Israel is considering the idea of ​​placing an international force on the Philadelphi Corridor are incorrect… Netanyahu is committed to the principle that Israel must control the Philadelphi Corridor in order to prevent Hamas from rearming and allowing it to commit the atrocities it committed on October 7 again.”

However, the Axios website quoted Israeli officials as saying that they have an updated map regarding the deployment of Israeli forces in the Philadelphi corridor, noting that the planned talks in Cairo aim to remove the last obstacles to reaching an agreement.

These negotiations come two days after the end of a tour of the region by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken without leading to a breakthrough in efforts to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in the Strip.

Reuters quoted informed sources on the round of talks last week as saying that disagreements over a future Israeli military presence in Gaza were a “stumbling block” to reaching a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

Source: Agencies