Philadelphi Corridor: Gaza war sticking point that could wreck entire peace process

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confidently announced Monday that the ball was in Hamas’s court in peace negotiations after Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to a US-backed hostages-for-ceasefire “bridging proposal.”

Hamas slammed Netanyahu’s decision to tack new conditions onto the proposed peace deal, and demanded a return to a draft agreement based on a June resolution of the UN Security Council.

🌏 The Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-km long, 100 meter-wide fortified border between Gaza and Egypt, is at the heart of the dispute. Hamas has decried Tel Aviv’s demand for permanent control of the Corridor, plus the Rafah crossing and the Netzarim Junction, citing the demands as evidence that Netanyahu seeks to undermine mediators’ efforts and prolong the conflict. Blinken has expressed Washington’s support for Tel Aviv’s position on the Corridor, an Israeli official has told media.

🌏 Control of the Philadelphi Corridor has been a long-term strategic aim for Israel, which wants to build a massive new wall there, ostensibly to deter Hamas weapons smuggling efforts. Hamas’s allies see the effort as yet another attempt by Israel to “blockade” and “strangle” Gaza.

🌏 Egypt has consistently rejected Israeli control of the border zone, warning that it undermines the foundations of the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace deal. A high-level source has told Egyptian media that Cairo will stick to its demands for a “full Israeli withdrawal” from the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah border crossing.

🌏 Israeli peace negotiators returned from Egypt emptyhanded Monday as sources told Israeli media Netanyahu is “unwilling to compromise on his position.” Israel reportedly plans to try again sometime this week by sending the heads of the Mossad, Shin Bet and the IDF’s hostage team to Egypt. Blinken arrived in Egypt for more talks on Tuesday, flying to Qatar later in the day.

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