Netanyahu so far weathers US pressure in ‘last chance’ Gaza cease-fire talks
Iran may be deterred by US firepower as Israel weighs strike on Hezbollah.
Cairo talks focus on Philadelphi Corridor
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Israel on August 19, said Israeli Prime Minister Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to a "bridging proposal" to address the remaining sticking points over a Gaza cease-fire and hostage exchange, putting the burden on Hamas.
Netanyahu and his people were more circumspect than Blinken on whether the PM may be closer to a deal. Three days later, speaking by phone, US President Joe Biden supposedly got the Israeli PM to agree to show some flexibility on Israel’s demand for a troop presence along the Philadelphi Corridor, Gaza’s southern border with Egypt — a sticking point in the negotiations.
The combination of another Blinken visit, mixed messages from Netanyahu and Biden talking "tough" to Netanyahu over the phone has a familiar ring.
