The IDF guard post on the southern border where two soldiers were killed by a rogue Egyptian policeman on June 3, 2023 (Israel Defense Forces)
‘The Philadelphi Corridor has to be in our hands, it has to be closed,’ said Netanyahu.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Israel is taking steps to take control of Gaza’s border with Egypt, the Philadelphi Corridor to prevent weapons from being smuggled to Hamas to keep attacks like the October 7th massacre from happening again, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
However, the logistics of gaining control of the southern border are complex and may threaten Israel’s relations with Egypt.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the importance of controlling the Philadelphi Corridor.
“The Philadelphi Corridor has to be in our hands, it has to be closed,” Netanyahu said late last year. “It’s clear that any other arrangement won’t guarantee the disarmament that we want.”
Egyptian officials have reported that Israel has informed them of plans for military operations in the area that include removing Palestinian officials from crossing points and placing Israeli troops on land extending from Gaza’s southeastern border.
Israel maintains that having IDF troops in this area will block Hamas’ system of tunnels extending into Egypt and will halt its flow of weapons.
Egypt is concerned that the arrangement may violate the terms of the 1979 Peace Treaty signed between the two countries which limited the number of troops both nations could place on the border.
In addition, Egypt has pointed out that these operations could damage their side of the border, a concern that Israel promised that it would try to prevent.
Recently, Egypt rejected a proposal to allow Israeli security on its side of the border and said such a move would threaten its sovereignty.
Egyptian officials said it would erect more watchtowers and increase its surveillance cameras, but it won’t allow Israeli security on its side or give Israel direct access to its cameras.
Israel has not yet given the green light to these operations on the southern border and currently needs cooperation with Egypt to help negotiate the release of the over 100 hostages that remain in Gaza.
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