Egypt confirms "Netanyahu obstructs the second phase of the Gaza agreement and attempts to ignite the region"

SadaNews - Egypt has confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to obstruct the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which came into effect on October 10, and accused him of trying to ignite the region.

This came in statements made by the head of the General Authority for Information affiliated with the Egyptian presidency, Diaa Raswan, to the "Cairo News" channel late Thursday evening.

Raswan stated that "Netanyahu is striving by all means to avoid moving to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, by shifting U.S. attention to other regional files, primarily Iran, Syria, and Lebanon."

He added that "Netanyahu is trying to ignite the region away from Gaza, taking advantage of the tensions in U.S.-Iranian relations, hoping to push Washington into a confrontation with Tehran, which may reignite Gaza and thwart the second phase of the agreement."

The head of the authority confirmed that Netanyahu is "maneuvering to obstruct the second phase of the Gaza agreement," adding: "There is a clear American veto against the renewal of clashes in Gaza," according to the channel.

Raswan said that "all evidence indicates that the U.S. administration has made its position clear regarding the start of the second phase at the beginning of January next year."

He viewed that "the reception of U.S. President Donald Trump for Netanyahu on December 29 is likely to be a clear signal for the actual start of the second phase without confusion."

Raswan considered that "Trump is a practical man, who wants to complete what he sees as a historic solution, and the only document that bore his name in foreign policy this year was the Gaza ceasefire plan, reflecting the centrality of the issue to him."