Egypt reduces pressure from Israel to take over control of the Philadelphi route

Shafaq News / Egypt is taking steps to reduce the pressure from Israel to take over control of the so-called Philadelphi Route in the Gaza Strip, which runs for 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) along the enclave’s border with Egypt, Arabic-language news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reports.

An Egyptian source tells the news outlet that the Egyptian army has already started carrying out new security measures “including conducting security patrols along the border by special operations forces to ensure that there are no activities that threaten security in that area.”

Israel has asked Cairo to let the IDF control the key Gaza-Egypt border road after the war, saying that this will prevent weapons from being smuggled into the coastal enclave, a request that has reportedly been soundly rejected.

The Egyptian source tells Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the country has sought to coordinate on the issue with Hamas and various other terror groups in Gaza, and has obtained “assurances that the Philadelphi Route area should be free of any resistance actions, to block the way for Israeli attempts to be present in that region.”

(The Times of Israel)