Prime Minister of Israel benjamin Netanyahu He noted yesterday that Israel must maintain control of the border between Gaza and Egypt indefinitely.Reiterating his position on an issue that has threatened to derail efforts to achieve a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the United States is drafting a new proposal for a ceasefire and hostage releases, hoping to break a stalemate and end the nearly 11-month war.
The issue of control of the Philadelphia Corridor, a narrow strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border that Israel took control of last May, has been one of the main stumbling blocks in the talks.
Hamas has demanded the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza as a condition for reaching a cease-fire agreement.
Egypt, along with the United States, brokered the negotiations and QatarPhiladelphia also demanded a specific deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the corridor.
Also, the United Arab Emirates, which established formal relations with Israel in 2020, also criticized the Israeli position yesterday.
In a statement to international journalists, Netanyahu reiterated his position that Israel must maintain control of the border to prevent Hamas from resupplying smuggled weapons.
He said that he is confirming Hamas Preventing a repeat of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel is a fundamental part of its war objectives.
“Gaza must be demilitarized, and that can only happen when the Philadelphia Corridor is under strict control,” he said, adding that Israeli troops had discovered dozens of tunnels under the border. He said Israel would only consider withdrawing from the corridor if they presented a proposal with their conditions.
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