Netanyahu’s office denies approving withdrawal from Philadelphi Corridor as part of Gaza cease-fire deal

JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement Wednesday denying reports that he had agreed to a US proposal to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border as part of a cease-fire deal and prisoner exchange with Hamas. 

Earlier, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that Netanyahu had “agreed to the US proposal to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor in the second phase of the deal, but Hamas and Egypt are demanding that the area be cleared in the initial phase.”

In response, Netanyahu’s office issued a statement, published by the broadcaster, saying “the report is incorrect. Israel will insist on achieving all the war objectives, as determined by the Security Cabinet.”

“This includes the goal that Gaza will no longer pose a security threat to Israel, which requires closing the southern border,” the statement added, referring to Israeli control over the Philadelphi Corridor.

Earlier Wednesday, Israeli media reported that US President Joe Biden was expected to speak with Netanyahu “tonight” to urge him “to soften Israel’s position” regarding the corridor.

Netanyahu vowed Tuesday that “Israel will not, under any circumstances, leave the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor despite the enormous pressure it is under to do so.”

The Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer (8.69-mile) demilitarized buffer zone along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, remains one of the major sticking points in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, but mediation efforts have been stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’s demands to stop the war.

Gaza cease-fire talks in Qatar concluded on Friday with a new “proposal that narrows the gaps” between Israel and Hamas, claiming that it is consistent with the principles supported by Biden on May 31, while Hamas rejected it, saying it aligns with Netanyahu’s new conditions.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The conflict has resulted in over 40,170 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and more than 92,740 injuries, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio

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