If the area between southern Gaza and Egypt is not used for the survival of Hamas,
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that he would be willing to accept a permanent ceasefire only if the border area between southern Gaza and Egypt is not allowed to be used for the survival of Hamas.
According to the Reuters news agency, Netanyahu said at a press conference in Jerusalem that “we are there until it happens.”
Netanyahu again rejected calls for troop withdrawal from the Philadelphia Corridor in the first phase of the deal, saying international pressure would make it difficult to withdraw again.
For a permanent ceasefire, Israel has asked for guarantees that whoever manages Gaza after the war can prevent the corridor from being used as a smuggling route for weapons and supplies for Hamas.
“Someone needs to be there,” he said.
He said.
Get someone to actually do it and demonstrate, not just on paper, words, or slides, but every day, every week, every month that they will actually not allow this to happen again.
We are ready to consider it but I don’t see it happening immediately.
The Philadelphia Corridor, along the southern edge of the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt, has been a major obstacle to an agreement to end fighting in Gaza and release Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu has insisted on maintaining Israeli control of the corridor, where tunnels Israel says were used to supply weapons and ammunition to Hamas.
The issue of the Philadelphia Corridor has drawn Prime Minister Netanyahu strong criticism in the country, including from the security establishment, which believes that the Israeli military can intervene if necessary to stop the smuggling.
The hostages’ families have accused Netanyahu of sacrificing their loved ones by insisting on keeping troops in the corridor.
However, Netanyahu says that the best way to return the 101 hostages from Gaza is to keep the pressure on Hamas.
“You need to put pressure on the rest of the hostages to release them,” he said. So if you want to free the hostages, you have to control the Philadelphia Corridor.
