Biden urges Netanyahu to show more flexibility on major obstacle in hostage release negotiations

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday about the stalling hostage deal negotiations. A summit meant to take place in Cairo later this week now seems unlikely, after U.S. officials deemed the talks ‘on the verge of collapse.’ 

The conversation between the two leaders was described by the Israeli news outlet Ynet News as a “difficult one.” A statement from the White House noted they discussed “the ceasefire and hostage release deal and diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tensions.”

U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris also joined the phone call.  

Biden reportedly tried to push Netanyahu to show more flexibility on the issue of control of the Philadelphi corridor. The border between Gaza and Egypt has been the main artery through which weapons and terror infrastructure were funneled and smuggled into the strip over the years. It is one of the major sticking points in the negotiations – not only vis-à-vis Hamas but also between Israel and Egyptian mediators. 

Israeli media reported that while Netanyahu insists on retaining the presence of IDF forces along Gaza’s southern border, the Biden administration urged him to compromise. Washington pushed for a diminished IDF presence in the first stage of the deal and a full withdrawal in the second stage. 

On Wednesday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) denied reports that Netanyahu agreed that Israel would withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor.  

“Israel will insist on the achievement of all of its objectives for the war, as they have been defined by the Security Cabinet, including that Gaza never again constitutes a security threat to Israel. This requires securing the southern border,” read a statement from the PMO.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited the Philadelphi route on Wednesday. He announced that Israel destroyed 150 tunnels stretching across the Gaza-Egypt border and defeated the Hamas Rafah brigade. 

“I gave an immediate directive to the IDF to destroy remaining tunnels,” Gallant added.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the Middle East on Tuesday without reaching any breakthrough. Earlier in the week, he confirmed that the Israeli side had accepted the latest American “bridging proposal” and said it was up to Hamas to do the same. The Gaza terror group has rejected it, claiming it aligns more with Israel’s terms. 

Now Biden’s special envoy to the region Brett McGurk is expected to arrive in Cairo as part of another mediation effort to bridge the remaining gaps. 

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar reportedly demanded that any potential deal that secures a ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for a hostage release would also guarantee his own safety. 

According to senior Egyptian officials quoted by Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Sinwar wants a commitment that Israel will not take any action to eliminate him from the moment the deal is implemented.