During the visit, he reaffirmed the armed forces' readiness,
stating, "The armed forces are capable of defending the homeland's borders,
a generation after another."
The visit followed accusations from a high-level Egyptian
source who claimed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was obstructing
Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap negotiations by alleging that weapons were
being smuggled through the Egypt-Gaza border.
The Philadelphi Corridor, a demilitarized zone along Egypt's
border with Gaza, remains a contentious issue in ongoing cease-fire and
prisoner swap talks between Israel and Hamas.
Netanyahu has insisted on maintaining a military presence
along the corridor, describing it as a crucial supply route for Hamas to rearm,
a claim Egypt vehemently denies.
Israel's continued offensive in Gaza since a Hamas attack on
October 07 last year has led to the deaths of over 40,800 Palestinians, mostly
women and children, and injured nearly 94,300, according to local health
authorities.
Mediation efforts by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt
have stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to agree to a cease-fire and prisoner
exchange.
The ongoing blockade of Gaza has resulted in critical
shortages of food, water, and medical supplies, causing severe humanitarian
distress and drawing accusations of genocide against Israel at the International
Court of Justice.
