Egypt Rejects Israeli Request to Monitor Philadelphi Route to Gaza

Egypt has rejected Israel's proposal for increased Israeli oversight over the buffer zone on the Egypt-Gaza border. Egypt is currently prioritizing efforts to broker a ceasefire, according to three Egyptian security sources who spoke to Reuters.

Al Qahera News reported on Monday that an anonymous source stated recent claims of planned cooperation between Egypt and Israel on the corridor were false.

Egypt shares a 13km (8-mile) border with Gaza, the only border of the Palestinian coastal enclave not directly controlled by Israel. Alongside Qatar, Egypt has been actively involved in leading talks to facilitate a new ceasefire in Gaza and negotiate a deal for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

The Egyptian sources revealed that during these talks, Israel approached Egypt about securing the Philadelphi Axis, also known as Salah AlDin Axis, a narrow buffer zone along the border. This was part of Israeli plans to prevent future attacks. The Philadelphi corridor has been patrolled by Egyptian security forces since Israel withdrew troops from Gaza in 2005.