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Netanyahu asks for forgiveness from hostage families, remains firm on control of key corridor

“The road to achieving the goal of this war passes through the Philadelphi Corridor.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

In a press conference on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his regret to hostage families that their loved ones are not home yet but still maintained that Israel’s controlling Philadelphi Corridor is “the road to achieving the goals” of this war.

On the evening following funerals for the six hostages whose remains were discovered by the IDF in Rafah and returned to Israel early Sunday morning, Netanyahu said, “I ask for the forgiveness of the families that we were not able to bring them back alive. We were close, but we didn’t make it.”

He added, “We must be united against a cruel enemy who wants to destroy us all,” Netanyahu said.

The premier declared, “We will not go back to normal” after the murders and that “Hamas will pay a heavy price.”

Despite the demand that Israel retain control of the Philadelphi Corridor has become an obstacle to the hostage release deal, Netanyahu emphasizes, “the road to achieving the goals of the war passes through the Philadelphi Corridor” between Gaza and Egypt.

Last Thursday, the war cabinet voted to retain the condition that Israel control the Philadelphi corridor as part of any hostage or ceasefire agreement, with National Security Minister Ben Gvir abstaining from the vote. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant voted against it and argued that the IDF could vacate the Philadelphi corridor temporarily as a means to get the hostages released.

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However, Netanyahu criticized this approach in the press conference without mentioning Gallant by name.

“They tell me to leave, and then we’ll come back; I’ve already been in this movie. If we leave – we won’t return,” the prime minister added.

He stressed that the “axis of evil” headed by Iran needs access to the Philadelphi corridor, and when Israel was operating there, the enemy had to shift its tactics.

“Only when we entered Philadelphia did we feel a change in the war. For months Hamas did not budge in negotiations for a deal. The first crack came after we entered Rafah and Philadelphi,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu asked what kind of message Israel would be sending to Hamas by leaving the Philadelphi corridor, especially after the murder of the six hostages.

“After they killed six of our hostages in cold blood? What message does that send to Hamas?” he asked.