Hommam Al Nassim 
Israeli media have speculated on a conflict between Egypt and Israel over the axis known as “Philadelphia”, located near the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip, also known as the Salah al-Din axis.
The Israeli news site Epoch reported that Egypt has not yet officially responded to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks, which sparked controversy over the need for Israel to control the axis.
According to the Egyptians, the military attaché to the peace agreement signed between the two countries in 1979 indicates that any entry of Israeli forces into that area requires Egyptian approval.
Israel has been trying to negotiate with Cairo in recent days to reach an understanding on the entry of its forces into the Philadelphia area on the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt, especially after the recent statements of the Israeli prime minister.
Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and the Palestinian Authority took control, but Hamas expelled it from the area in 2007, leading to Hamas taking control of the Philadelphia area.
Egypt may strongly oppose the IDF’s takeover of the axis if Israel formally requests it, but the assessment in Israel suggests that it may show flexibility in this context given the strong security ties between the two countries, as Israel has provided many forms of assistance to Egypt in confronting the Islamic State in North Sinai.