- Israel refuses to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor despite ceasefire terms.
- Netanyahu’s conditions previously stalled hostage deal negotiations.
- Withdrawal deadline set for March 9 under current ceasefire agreement.
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, has stated that Israel will not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, despite the hostage-ceasefire deal requiring the IDF to leave the Egypt-Gaza border stretch at the end of the first phase.
“We will not leave the Philadelphi Corridor. We will not allow Hamas militants to once again roam our borders with pickup trucks and guns, nor will we allow them to rearm through smuggling,” the official said, reiterating Israel’s claim that Hamas has used the corridor to funnel weapons into Gaza.
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In July, Israel’s hostage negotiating team believed a deal with Hamas was imminent, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu introduced new conditions to maintain Israeli control of the Philadelphi Corridor, effectively derailing the talks, according to Israeli and Arab officials cited by The Times of Israel.
However, the agreement Netanyahu ultimately accepted six months later still requires Israel to begin withdrawing from the corridor on the 42nd day of phase one (this Saturday) and to complete the pullout by the 50th day of the ceasefire (March 9).
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The Israeli official’s declaration comes shortly after authorities completed identifying the last four bodies of hostages released in phase one of the ceasefire agreement.
