Majority of Israelis support leaving Philadelphi Corridor to secure captive deal
A poll reported on by Israeli public broadcaster Kan finds that 53 percent of people surveyed support leaving the Philadelphi Corridor if it means reaching a deal with Hamas to release the remaining Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip.
The presence of Israeli forces in the narrow strip of land that runs along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt has become a major sticking point in negotiations for a ceasefire in the Strip and an exchange of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli captives.
Netanyahu has repeatedly refused to leave the area, even though Hamas said a previous version of a ceasefire deal, which included the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the corridor, was already agreed to by Israeli officials.
Netanyahu again refuses to leave Philadelphi Corridor
Israel will not withdraw its soldiers from the border area between southern Gaza and Egypt until there is a guarantee that it can never be used by Hamas, Netanyahu tells a news conference in Jerusalem.
“Until that happens, we’re there,” he said.
This is Netanyahu’s latest refusal to withdraw Israeli forces from the Philadelphi Corridor, an issue that has become a major roadblock to achieving a ceasefire in Gaza.
Hamas is demanding the total withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from the Strip.
