The Egyptian side is currently moving intensively, in coordination with Qatar and Turkey, to align with the Americans and transition to the second phase of the ceasefire. This also aims to ensure a final end to the war, which would involve the entry of international forces into Gaza and the formation of what is being referred to as a “Peace Council.”

Most importantly, this phase would see a Palestinian transitional administrative authority made up of technocrats assume responsibility for governing Gaza. Egyptian concerns stem from in-depth assessments that point to the following:
    1.    Netanyahu is stalling and maneuvering (despite the lack of American desire for this) to avoid moving to the second phase, with the aim of reigniting the situation and resuming the war in other forms, in order to destroy what remains of Gaza City under the pretext of “disarming the resistance.”
    2.    There are Egyptian fears that the Yellow Line will be made permanent and turned into Gaza’s new border, which would effectively mean control over more than 50% of the Strip’s territory.
    3.    There is also concern about the continued presence of the occupation army along the Egyptian border (the Philadelphi Corridor), which contradicts the Camp David Accords, threatens Egyptian national security, obstructs the official opening of the Rafah crossing, and undermines potential economic benefits for the Egyptian economy.
    4.    The Egyptian side is not certain of the Netanyahu government’s and the U.S. administration’s approval of allowing a transitional Palestinian technocratic government or authority to take over the administration of Gaza. The Egyptian view is that Netanyahu exploits the slogan of “Hamas control” as a tool to maintain the blockade and justify military intervention whenever he sees fit.
    5.    There are additional concerns that Netanyahu may seek to selectively implement parts of the second phase—such as limiting the deployment of international forces to areas he still controls—and to deal with the so-called “Peace Council” as a fait accompli.

Egypt, and Qatar in particular, are betting on pressure from the U.S. president to force Netanyahu to move to the second phase and carry out another withdrawal from Gaza. The anticipated meeting between Trump and Netanyahu in Washington at the end of the year is expected to be decisive in implementing Trump’s plan, ending the war definitively, and putting a final stop to displacement plans.

There are assurances from the U.S. administration, and from the president personally, that he is determined to move forward with his vision to end the war and implement his plan to change Gaza’s political and security reality. However, the Egyptian side is not fully convinced of this, nor of Trump’s ability to compel Netanyahu to comply.