Report: Expected improvement in Israel–Egypt relations following agreement to end the Gaza war

The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, affiliated with Hezbollah, reported on Saturday morning that, according to well-informed Egyptian sources, relations between Egypt and Israel are tending toward improvement. This comes amid a series of changes, including the restoration of formal diplomatic communication channels between the two countries, which are expected to resume activity next week.

According to the sources, Egypt has linked the return of its “diplomatic involvement” to the continued implementation of the agreement to end the war, its non-violation or a return to fighting, as well as the reopening of the Rafah crossing in the coming days. Egyptian sources also assessed that if the ceasefire continues with only limited Israeli violations, Egypt will accept the new Israeli ambassador – something it had so far refrained from doing due to the war and heightened tensions between the countries. However, the participation of the new Israeli ambassador in meetings held by President al-Sisi with foreign diplomats will be postponed until further notice.

At the same time, senior Egyptian officials told the newspaper that there would be no further “diplomatic involvement” by Egypt before the next elections in Israel. This, they said, is due to the current Israeli government’s inability to make decisive decisions regarding the two-state solution, which Egypt has adopted. The issue is also tied to the continued flow of humanitarian aid and avoiding its obstruction to various areas within the Gaza Strip, along with the ongoing gradual Israeli withdrawal.

In parallel, it was reported that Egyptian forces deployed along the Gaza border will also withdraw once Israel pulls out of the Philadelphi Corridor, leading to a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. An Egyptian military source told the newspaper that Egypt is conveying in negotiations that the weapons in Gaza pose a threat to Egypt’s security to the same extent that they threaten Israel’s security.

The report also stated that economic partnerships between Israel and Egypt are expected to gain momentum if the ceasefire holds, as part of broader efforts to return the Gaza Strip to the state it was in before Hamas took control.