Striking images reveal the meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to the Middle East. The images demonstrate the critical importance of ongoing negotiations to reach a ceasefire in the conflict-torn region.
Netanyahu stressed that efforts to secure the return of hostages held in Gaza must be accompanied by the inviolable respect of fundamental principles that guarantee Israel’s security. Strategic experts emphasize Egypt’s loyalty to its firm positions on the Palestinian issue, particularly regarding the Rafah crossing and the Philadelphia corridor.
Sobhy Assila of the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies highlights Egypt’s clear and unwavering position on controlling the Rafah crossing and the Philadelphia corridor. He explains that this position is based on the imperatives of Egyptian national security, the Palestinian issue and regional stability.
The ongoing occupation in the region leads Israel to maintain a siege on Gaza, which imposes on it the responsibility to guarantee the security and well-being of the inhabitants of this enclave. Assila emphasizes that the Rafah crossing is a “Palestinian-Egyptian” entity and rejects any form of Israeli control over it.
Samir Farag, a strategic expert, recalls that in 2014, Egypt respected the supplementary agreement to the peace treaty by destroying the tunnels connecting Gaza to Egypt. He emphasizes that the Israeli presence in the Philadelphia corridor would constitute a violation of the terms of this peace agreement.
Finally, Abdel-Alim Mohamed, advisor to the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, categorically states that Egypt cannot accept Israeli control of the Rafah crossing under any circumstances. This firm position reflects Egypt’s commitment to the sovereignty of Palestine and the stabilization of the region.
These strategic and political exchanges highlight the crucial issues at stake in the current negotiations in the Middle East and shed light on the clear and unwavering positions of the regional actors involved in the quest for lasting peace.