Mediators are racing against time to "bridge the gap of differences" between the two warring parties in Gaza, in light of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence on keeping forces in the "Philadelphi Corridor", contrary to Egyptian desires and Hamas's demand for a complete withdrawal from the Strip, amid a new American pledge to reach an agreement that has been stalled for months.

Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper said that experts who spoke to it believe that Netanyahu's "illogical" insistence on remaining in the "Philadelphi axis" will exacerbate the difficulties of reaching a new truce, amid bets on real American pressure to give impetus to the upcoming talks in Cairo and a breakthrough towards the first of the three stages of the truce proposal, which was put forward by US President Joe Biden at the end of last May, otherwise the negotiations will continue without an imminent agreement.

According to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office: "Netanyahu insists on the principle that Israel will control the Philadelphi Corridor to prevent Hamas from rearming," denying any media reports that he was considering approving the deployment of international forces in that corridor, according to what Reuters reported on Thursday.

The Philadelphi Corridor is a 14-kilometre border strip between Gaza and Egypt, and is considered a buffer zone under the Camp David Accords signed between Cairo and Tel Aviv in 1979. Since the outbreak of the Gaza War, it has become a point of crisis between Cairo and Tel Aviv, especially after the Israeli army occupied it in May along with the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing.

While Netanyahu's statements about his commitment to remaining in this axis continued after the Doha negotiations in mid-August, Egypt announced, through a "high-level" source who spoke to the "Cairo News" channel, its commitment to "a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Rafah crossing and the Philadelphi axis," which it occupied last May. Egypt also rejected, according to what was reported by the American newspaper "Wall Street Journal" on Thursday, an Israeli offer allowing the construction of 8 watchtowers along the Philadelphi axis, as well as an American offer to build only two watchtowers.

Cairo witnessed "technical meetings" for which there was no official comment, but the Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that the negotiating delegation returned from Cairo after holding "constructive discussions" regarding the prisoners' agreement, noting that the gaps between the parties to the ceasefire talks in Gaza regarding the Philadelphi Corridor "have narrowed." Another Israeli official pointed to a convergence of positions between Egypt and Israel regarding the issue of the deployment of army forces along the Philadelphi Corridor.

The head of the Arab Foundation for Strategic Studies, military expert Major General Samir Ragheb, believes that the mediators will continue their efforts to complete the agreement during the meetings that discuss technical matters and ways to close the gaps, and then it will be transferred to the political aspect as it is the “last chance” during this stage that precedes the US presidential elections and attempts to defuse the clash between Iran and Hezbollah with Israel.

Tehran threatens Tel Aviv with a harsh response to the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and also threatens Lebanese Hezbollah with the killing of its leader Fouad Shukr in Beirut at the end of last July, amid international fears of the outbreak of a comprehensive war.

To avoid this war, according to Ragheb, Netanyahu must go to an agreement in the Cairo talks, which have been ongoing since Thursday and will end on Sunday. There are points on which there is agreement, others that need to be resolved in the last hours, and a third major point that does not accept half-solutions, such as the Philadelphi Corridor issue, which Netanyahu is witnessing “illogical insistence” on raising, as he “puts the cart before the horse to obstruct the agreement, because there is no smuggling of weapons from Egypt to Gaza, as he claims, and the Israeli security services have known about this for years.”

Palestinian political analyst Dr. Ayman Al-Raqab considers Netanyahu's insistence on staying in "Philadelphia", as well as the towers proposal, a kind of procrastination and wasting time to "thwart the new round of talks", stressing that Egypt is keen on preserving Palestine's sovereignty, as well as its sovereignty over its lands and the absence of any threat to its security.

However, a new pledge made by the US Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, on Thursday, to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip gives a glimmer of hope, as she stressed that "the time has come now" to reach an agreement on the hostages and a ceasefire agreement, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.

Harris explained that she is working with Biden "to end this war so that Israel is safe, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination."

Ragheb believes that "American pressure is ongoing and will continue, and the Biden administration will exert maximum pressure to achieve a truce as Harris pledged, because it is influential in the election campaign and the fortunes of the Democratic Party."

Al-Raqab expects "no breakthrough in the negotiations" or any real American pressure until early October, explaining that "on this date, Netanyahu will celebrate the victory over the children and women of Gaza after a year, and it will be a good time for the Americans to reach a calm with the approach of the presidential elections and implement the first phase of Biden's proposal, which lasts for 42 days." He believes that Netanyahu does not want to go to the second phase of Biden's proposal, which may be implemented next September if the deal is completed during the Cairo round, but he wants to continue the war whenever he wants without commitments, so next October will be the most appropriate date for him and for the Biden administration, which is awaiting the elections next November.