Israel stood firm on its insistent that the IDF must retain a military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US Secretary Antony Blinken in Jerusalem to discuss how to advance the hostage negotiations.
“The Prime Minister stands firmly by the principle that the IDF will physically remain on the Philadelphi Corridor that borders with Egypt to prevent the resupply of Hamas’s deadly weapons, “ government spokesperson David Mercer told reporters in Jerusalem.
“The negotiations continue,” he stated. “We are working to create a framework agreement based on the principles presented by the US in May to get our people home,” Mercer stressed.
He spoke as Blinken made a brief visit to Israel Monday, as the US together with the main mediators for a hostage deal between Egypt and Qatar prepared to host a high-level round of talks in Cairo as early as Wednesday or later in the week.
Low-level Israeli professional teams are in Cairo and Doha this week to work on details regarding the deal.
Blinken underscored to President Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in separate meetings how important it was to accept the deal.
He warned that this could be the last option to make a deal to bring the hostage home.
Meeting lasted for three hours
The Prime Minister’s office said that the Blinken meeting with Netanyahu lasted for three hours, was “positive, and was held in a good atmosphere.”
During that conversation, Netanyahu “reiterated Israel's commitment to the current American proposal on the release of our hostages, which takes into account Israel's security needs, which he strongly insists on,” his office said.
On the table is what the US has called a “bridging proposal” to close the gaps between Hamas and Israel with respect to a three-phase proposal US President Joe Biden unveiled on May 31.
But despite initial positive statements by the US and Israel regarding two days of talks held in Doha on Thursday and Friday, Hamas rejected the “bridging proposal.”
Israel, in turn, stood on the same principled points it had outlined before the bridging proposal was announced in Doha, even as Blinken urged both Hamas and Israel to say yes to the deal.
Mercer said, “Israel also insisted on advancing a deal that will maximize the number of living hostages and to enable achieving all of our war objectives.”
“Israel is conducting these negotiations with a firm eye on the vital security interests of Israel, as opposed to those who advise that Israel just give in,” Mercer said.
Despite those firm positions he laid out, Mercer said that Netanyahu “made clear that Israel is fully prepared to be flexible for this noble mission, but be in no doubt.” He added that “these are very complex negotiations” and stressed Israel’s gratitude toward the Biden administration for all its efforts.