Israel is open to negotiating control of Gaza’s border with Egypt after the end of the war with Hamas، Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer said، though must maintain troops there for now to prevent the group re-arming during a proposed truce.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV، Dermer said the question of Israel’s grip on the so-called Philadelphi Corridor is among around a half-dozen disputes holding up a cease-fire agreement with Hamas. The US، Qatar and Egypt have been attempting to broker a deal between the two sides for several months without success.

“Believe me، Israel’s government wants to get to a deal،” said Dermer، a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision-making security cabinet. “What we are not willing to do is go to a deal that is going to endanger the security of 10 million Israelis.”

Netanyahu plans to attend the UN General Assembly in New York later this month to argue Israel’s case، Dermer said. The almost 11-month-old war has ignited hostilities on other Middle East fronts and become a divisive issue in the US ahead of November’s elections.

Withdrawal from Philadelphi Corridor

Hamas wants Israeli troops to withdraw from Philadelphi and other parts of Gaza as part of any cease-fire deal. Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia، Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have in recent days criticized Netanyahu’s stance on the nine-mile (14-kilometer) long corridor، expressing solidarity with Egypt. 

Dermer accused Cairo of failing to prevent the cross-border smuggling of arms to Hamas militants in Gaza following Israel’s exit from the Palestinian territory in 2005. Contraband weaponry، he said، enabled Hamas to carry out the Oct. 7 attack.

“Until we have an actual practical solution on the ground for the Philadelphi Corridor، Israeli forces cannot leave، and for the last 20 years we haven’t had that،” Dermer said. “We’ve had Egyptian presidents، and they announced that their policy was to stop the smuggling that would go into Gaza. What happened on the ground was a different matter.”

Egypt has denied there has been illegal transportation of arms across its border with the territory.

The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on Israel to “end the escalation and refrain from taking steps that would exacerbate tensions and instability in the region.” The Arab country is among those that agreed to diplomatic ties with Israel as part of the 2020 Abraham Accords. 

Israel has vowed to ultimately destroy Hamas — whether or not a pause in hostilities is agreed — and argued that to do otherwise would invite more bloodshed and empower other Iran-backed forces in the region.