Amid efforts by international mediators to broker a ceasefire and prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas, a speech by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early September effectively thwarted any chances of a deal.
The Israeli leader’s latest tactic to sabotage the talks is his uncompromising insistence that Israel continues to occupy the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt as an “existential” security necessity, a position that violates US President Joe Biden’s proposal.
Netanyahu claimed that “the achievement of the war’s objectives goes through the Philadelphi Corridor”, arguing it is Hamas’ main smuggling point for weapons and equipment and that Israel’s withdrawal would allow the group to smuggle hostages out of Gaza and enable 7 October attacks “again and again and again” …..more