Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he will continue to insist on maintaining an Israeli presence along the Philadelphi corridor.
The strategic border between Gaza and Egypt has been a main point of discussion in recent ceasefire talks. Hamas is demanding a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, but Netanyahu claims Israel’s control of the corridor is vital to ensure the militant group cannot rearm via tunnels.
“It determines our entire future,” he said at the news conference, and described the Philadelphi corridor as the “oxygen and armament of Hamas”.
Hamas said they would release hostages in return for an end to the war, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces in Gaza, and the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners.
These criteria were broadly outlined in a ceasefire deal proposed by US President Jo Biden in July.
Hamas accused Israel of prolonging negotiations by issuing new demands, including lasting Israeli control over the Philadelphi corridor and a second corridor running across Gaza.
The urgency to reach a ceasefire deal heightened after the bodies of six hostages were found in an underground tunnel in Gaza.
Israeli forensic experts claim the hostages had been shot and died only days before when they were found by Israeli troops.
Thousands of Israelis protest Netanyahu
Thousands of Israelis poured into the streets of Tel Aviv for a second day in a row on Monday, in grief and anger after six more hostages were found dead in Gaza.
Many blame Netanyahu and believe the hostages could have been returned alive in a deal with Hamas. Three of the six hostages that were found were reportedly scheduled to be released in the first phase of a ceasefire proposal discussed in July.
At the news conference on Monday, Netanyahu said he called some of the families of the hostages and asked for their forgiveness for not bringing them home.
“We were close but we didn’t succeed,” he said.
US President Joe Biden added pressure on the Israeli prime minister and criticised him for not doing enough.
However, he remains adamant that they’re close to reaching a final ceasefire deal.
Netanyahu declared that the war in Gaza will not conclude until Hamas is completely defeated and no longer holds power in the region. “To do that you need to have military victory and you have to have also a political victory to destroy their governance”, he said.
