Egypt has agreed to build an “underground wall” to prevent the construction of tunnels with Gaza

Two Israeli officials have reported progress in the security arrangements on the border between Egypt and Gaza, which are being discussed as part of a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, according to the American website Axios on Friday, July 12, 2024.

The officials added that Egypt has agreed to build an “underground wall” on the Egyptian side of the border to prevent the construction of tunnels, and the United States has agreed to fund the project.

Israel has also requested access to sensors and cameras that will be placed on the Egyptian side of the border with Gaza as part of the wall project.

Furthermore, Reuters reported that Egyptian and Israeli negotiators are discussing an electronic surveillance system on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt that could allow Israeli forces to withdraw from the area if a ceasefire agreement is reached.

The presence of Israeli forces on the border is one of the issues hindering the achievement of a ceasefire agreement, as both Hamas and Egypt oppose Israel keeping its forces there.

Regarding the return of displaced persons to northern Gaza, Netanyahu’s conditions for the return of Palestinian displaced persons to northern Gaza are a major point of contention between the two sides, according to Axios.

Israeli officials stated that the current draft agreement allows for the unrestricted return of unarmed displaced Palestinians but does not specify a mechanism for verifying this.

The officials said that Israeli, Egyptian, Qatari, and American officials are trying to find a solution to this issue.

An Israeli senior official mentioned that the talks held in Doha two days ago did not succeed in bridging all the remaining gaps but helped clarify the remaining sticking points.

This comes as White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan indicated that there is “progress” in the talks regarding a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange agreement.

An Israeli delegation headed by the head of the Shin Bet (General Security Service), Ronen Bar, has left for Cairo to continue the talks.

Earlier on Thursday, Hamas stated that it had not been informed of any new developments from mediators regarding the negotiations aimed at a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange with Israel.

On Wednesday, Hebrew media reported that a quadrilateral meeting was held in Doha, attended by the head of the Israeli Mossad, David Barnea, the head of the CIA, William Burns, the head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamel, and the Qatari Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.