Israel has refused to withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor, a border separating Egypt and Gaza, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. The Israeli official’s statement came after delegations from Israel and Qatar arrived in Cairo for negotiations on the Gaza ceasefire deal.
The Philadelphi corridor was one of the main sticking points in negotiations between Israel and Hamas before the current ceasefire deal. Israel was supposed to complete its withdrawal within eight days, but instead, it will maintain control over the border region. This decision could lead to a crisis with both Hamas and Egypt, which is mediating the talks.
Israel’s refusal to withdraw from the corridor has been attributed to concerns about smuggling of weapons through the Egyptian border. However, former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant had opposed this stance, saying it would not be an excuse for breaking a potential deal with Hamas. The Israeli army can deal with being out of Gaza and giving up control of Philadelphi, according to Herzi Halevi, the former head of the Israel Defense Forces.
The first phase of the ceasefire ends on Saturday, but the situation remains uncertain as delegations from Israel, Qatar, and Egypt continue their talks in Cairo.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/israel-withdraw-philadelphi-corridor-stipulated-ceasefire/story?id=119249232