Israel and Egypt are in talks over an electronic surveillance system along the Gaza-Egypt border that could allow Israel to withdraw its troops from the area if a ceasefire is agreed, according to two Egyptian sources and a third source familiar with the matter.
The issue of Israeli forces remaining on the border is one of the issues blocking a possible ceasefire agreement, as both Hamas and Egypt, a mediator in the negotiations, oppose the maintenance of Israeli forces there.
Israel fears that if its troops leave the border zone, which Israel calls the Philadelphia corridor, Hamas’s armed wing could smuggle weapons and supplies from Egypt into Gaza through tunnels that would allow it to rearm and threaten Israel again.
A surveillance system, if the negotiating parties agree on the details, could therefore smooth the way for a ceasefire agreement, although several other hurdles remain.
Discussions over a border surveillance system have been reported previously, but Reuters reports for the first time that Israel is taking part in the discussions as part of the current round of negotiations aimed at withdrawing forces from the border area.
The source familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the discussions were about “basically sensors that would be built on the Egyptian side of the Philadelphia (corridor).”
“The idea is obviously to detect tunnels, to detect any other forms of smuggling of weapons or people into Gaza. Obviously, that would be an important element in a hostage deal,” he added.
Asked if this would be important for a ceasefire agreement because it would mean Israeli soldiers would not need to be in the Philadelphia corridor, the source said: “Correct.”
Two Egyptian security service sources, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said Israeli negotiators had discussed a high-tech surveillance system.
Egypt would not object to this if it were supported and paid for by the United States, according to the two Egyptian sources. They said, however, that the country would not agree to anything that would alter border arrangements between Israel and Egypt established in an earlier peace treaty.
Source: CNN Brasil
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