New Delhi: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under heavy fire from families of Israeli hostages as also from his own Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over his decision to prioritise maintaining Israeli troops along a strategic corridor on the border between Gaza and Egypt over saving the lives of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza.
During an Israeli security cabinet meeting earlier this week, a war of words broke out between Netanyahu and Gallant over the former’s insistence to maintain the presence of Israeli troops along the Philadelphi Corridor that runs across the border between Gaza and Egypt.
What happened during the meeting?
Citing a transcript of the meeting leaked to Channel 12, Israeli media reported that there was a heated exchange of words when Netanyahu sought the vote of the top ministerial body on a series of maps drawn up by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). The maps show Israel maintaining its troops on the Corridor during the first, six-week phase of a ceasefire deal for securing the release of Israeli hostages that is being negotiated.
This is the latest instance of the growing differences between Netanyahu and the security establishment as the war between Israel and Hamas rages on in Gaza which has claimed over 41,000 Palestinian lives so far. Gallant and the security chiefs believe that Netanyahu’s rigid stance will put the ongoing negotiations for securing the release of more than 100 Israeli hostages at risk.
“The significance of this is that Hamas won’t agree to it (maintaining Israeli troops on the Philadelphi Corridor), so there won’t be an agreement and there won’t be any hostages released,” the Times of Israel quoted Gallant as telling the ministers, citing the Channel 12 report.
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer then called for a vote on the maps that the IDF had presented to the mediators comprising Egypt, the US and Qatar in Cairo last week. But Gallant insisted that these maps went against the stance of the security establishment.
“If (Hamas chief Yahya) Sinwar presents you with the dilemma: Either you leave Philadelphi or you return the hostages, what do you do?” Gallant asked Netanyahu.
“I stay on the Philadelphi,” Netanyahu was quoted as replying. The cabinet vote saw Netanyahu's proposal approved by eight votes to one, with one abstention. Both Hamas and mediator Egypt have opposed the presence of Israeli troops on the Philadelphi Corridor.
How have the hostages’ families reacted to Netanyahu’s stance?
When Netanyahu’s stance appeared in the media, families of the hostages expressed shock and outrage saying that the Prime Minister might as well publicly declare that he has given up on the lives of the hostages in favour of Israeli troops’ presence on the Philadelphi Corridor.
“The quotes from the cabinet meeting should cause every Israeli citizen to lose sleep,” the Hostage and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. “Every citizen should know that if they are to be kidnapped from their bed in their pyjamas on a Saturday morning, their prime minister will do everything to keep his seat, even at the cost of leaving them to die in the Hamas tunnels in Gaza.”
Einav Zangauker, mother of Hamas hostage Matan Zangauker, said Netanyahu’s actions are “a crime against the people, against the State of Israel and against Zionism”.
“Netanyahu is not Mr. Security, he is Mr. Death. He is undermining the deal in cold blood,” the Times of Israel quoted Zangauker as saying.
So, where exactly is the Philadelphi Corridor?
The Philadelphi Corridor, also called Philadelphi Route, is the Israeli code name for a narrow strip of land, 14 km in length, situated along the entirety of the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
Following Israel’s unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip in 2005, the Philadelphi Accord with Egypt was concluded, which authorised Egypt to deploy 750 border guards along the route to patrol the border on Egypt’s side. The Palestinian side of the border was controlled by the Palestinian Authority, until the 2007 takeover by Hamas. The joint authority for the Rafah Border Crossing was transferred to the Palestinian Authority and Egypt for restricted passage by Palestinian ID card-holders, and by others by exception.
What is the strategic importance of the Philadelphi Corridor?
The Corridor is strategically significant for both Israel and Hamas due to its location and its role in controlling the movement of goods, people, and weapons between Egypt and Gaza.
According to Yoni Ben-Menachem, Senior Researcher at the Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs, controlling the Philadelphi Corridor effectively severs the Gaza Strip’s only land connection to Egypt, potentially blocking subterranean movement between the two regions through a network of tunnels.
“The corridor’s control translates to dominance over the Rafah crossing, the sole border crossing linking the Gaza Strip to the Arab world and crucial for the international travel of senior Hamas officials,” Menachem wrote in an article in December last year, two months after the Israel-Hamas war broke out. “While Israel possesses intelligence on these tunnels, Egypt persists in denying their existence, claiming to have destroyed them years ago.”
Why is the Corridor so important for Israel?
For Israel, the Philadelphi Corridor has been crucial in controlling the smuggling of arms, ammunition, and other military supplies into the Gaza Strip. Tunnels beneath the corridor have historically been used to smuggle rockets, explosives, and other weapons that could be used against Israeli civilians and military targets.
The corridor is key to maintaining Israel’s security along its southern border. By controlling or monitoring the corridor, Israel aims to limit the infiltration of militants, weapons, and other threats into Gaza, which could be used to launch attacks on Israeli territory.
Why is Hamas dependent on the Corridor?
For Hamas, the Philadelphi Corridor is a critical supply line. The tunnels beneath it are used to bring in weapons, fuel, food, and other essential supplies that sustain both its military operations and civilian governance in Gaza. This smuggling network helps Hamas bypass the Israeli blockade, which restricts the movement of goods into Gaza.
Beyond military supplies, the tunnels beneath the corridor serve as a significant economic artery for Gaza, allowing for the smuggling of goods that are otherwise restricted or heavily taxed. This underground economy is essential for maintaining Hamas’s control and influence over Gaza’s population, providing a source of income and employment for many Gazans.
Now, with Netanyahu not budging from his stance of maintaining the presence of Israeli troops on the Philadelphi Corridor and Hamas completely opposed to this, the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire to secure the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza have effectively been put in jeopardy.
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