President Biden calls Israeli prime minister, emphasizing ‘urgency’ in reaching ceasefire deal with Hamas ahead of Cairo summit.
By World Israel News Staff
President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Wednesday ahead of a summit in Cairo, urging the Israeli leader to do everything possible to reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas.
The phone call also included Vice President Kamala Harris, the White House said.
During their conversation, Netanyahu and Biden “discussed active and ongoing U.S. efforts to support Israel’s defense against all threats from Iran, including its proxy terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, to include ongoing defensive U.S. military deployments,” the White House said.
Biden also “stressed the urgency of bringing the ceasefire and hostage release deal to closure and discussed upcoming talks in Cairo to remove any remaining obstacles.”
According to sources cited by Yedioth Aharonoth, Biden used the call Wednesday to try to convince Netanyahu to compromise on key Israeli demands, including IDF control over the Philadelphi Route.
The Philadelphi Route, or Corridor, spans the length of the Gaza-Egypt frontier, and is considered one of the most strategically important strips of land in the coastal enclave.
Handed over to the Palestinian Authority after the August 2005 Gaza Disengagement, the Philadelphi Route has been under Hamas control since the terror group seized control of Gaza in 2007. Since then, the area, particular in the Rafah area, has been the center of massive smuggling operations through massive tunnel networks spanning the border.
Since the October 7th invasion of Israel, Netanyahu has insisted Israel maintain permanent control over certain key strategic zones in Gaza, including the Philadelphi Route – a position which has been rejected not only by Hamas, but also by Cairo, which has objected to a permanent Israeli presence on the Gaza-Egypt border.
The Biden administration fears Egypt’s opposition to the current IDF presence on the border could lead to the cancellation of the upcoming Cairo summit and a complete collapse of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.
The summit is currently set to be held Friday and Saturday, though expectations of a breakthrough are “very low,” officials told Yedioth Aharaonth.