Egypt is demanding that its participation in Gaza's security arrangements and ceasefire monitoring be covered under the umbrella of the UN Security Council, or be carried out under direct UN supervision.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, reported that Cairo conveyed this position in recent days during talks with Washington, Doha, Tel Aviv, and other Arab and European partners involved in the implementation of the first phase of US President Donald Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan.
Egypt stressed that the presence of an international security or monitoring presence needs "stem from a binding UN resolution, not from bilateral understandings or unilateral arrangements", the sources said.
This condition represents the basis of the official Egyptian position. Egypt has said it is willing to participate in international monitoring or security forces established with Security Council mandate, as well as with clearly outlined powers and timelines.
Egypt has in recent months trained members of the Palestinian security forces in preparation for them to take over duties in Gaza. This is in line with Egypt's vision of Gaza's security being "purely Palestinian", with Arab states providing external support and monitoring.
According to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Cairo is aware of Tel Aviv's opposition to any UN presence in Gaza, which it believes would limit its hand. Despite this, Egypt is pressing its insistence of a UN mandate in talks with Washington about the ceasefire's second phase.
The sources stressed that any plan that sidelines the Palestinians or bypasses a UN framework "will fail on the first day of implementation".
On Friday evening, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received a call from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss the Gaza ceasefire.
Egyptian presidential spokesman Ambassador Mohamed el-Shennawy said that the UN chief stressed the need to "grant international legitimacy to the agreement through the Security Council and deploy international forces in the Gaza Strip under the umbrella of the United Nations".
In a separate phone call with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on Saturday, Sisi emphasised the need to "deploy international forces in the Gaza Strip and the importance of granting international legitimacy to the agreement reached through the Security Council".