Posted on 08/21/24
| News Source: Arutz-7
US President Joe Biden is expected to speak on Wednesday night with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
According to Barak Ravid's report for Axios, citing a source with knowledge of the call, Biden is expected to pressure the Prime Minister to show more flexibility on the issue of the Philadelphi Corridor.
According to the report, an Israeli official said that Netanyahu ordered the Israeli negotiation team to present a map that showed Israel reducing some of its forces as part of the first stage of a hostage deal, but still deploying them all along the corridor.
The Egyptians rejected that plan and the US told Israel the map was a non-starter.
The White House declined to comment on the report.
Speaking to families of hostages and bereaved families, Netanyahu said on Tuesday that "Israel will not exit, in any situation, the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor, despite the enormous pressure on us to do so."
Netanyahu added, "The military pressure will continue with full force - that is the only thing that causes Hamas to lower its unreasonable expectations."
Heroes Forum chairman Yehoshua Shani asked the Prime Minister about his meeting with Secretary of State Blinken and the US pressure to reach a deal, and he answered: "Maybe I convinced Blinken? I notified Blinken - in any case, Israel will not retreat from the strategic assets that it obtained during the war."