Israel’s Refusal to Withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor: A Plan to Isolate Gaza?
Military Experts Warn of Regional Consequences as Israel Reneges on Ceasefire Agreement.
Watan-Military expert Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi stated that Israel’s announcement of its intention not to withdraw from the Salah al-Din (Philadelphi) Corridor indicates a plan to completely isolate the Gaza Strip from the world. Meanwhile, Major General Mohammed Al-Samadi emphasized that this stance underscores the need for a decisive response to this U.S.-backed Israeli expansion.
The Israeli occupation forces were scheduled to begin withdrawing from the border corridor between Egypt and Gaza next Saturday, coinciding with the completion of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between the resistance and Israel.
However, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced that Israel would maintain control over this “buffer zone,” similar to what it did in southern Lebanon and Syria.
Buffer Zone Violations
According to Al-Duwairi’s analysis on Al Jazeera, the conditions for a buffer zone do not apply to the Philadelphi Corridor for several reasons, including:
- Buffer zones are typically established with the approval of the United Nations or multiple countries to protect civilians.
- Such zones are usually created between two neighboring countries by allocating a portion of land from each, which does not apply to the Philadelphi Corridor, as it lies between Egypt and Palestine.
- The Israeli presence in the corridor violates the Camp David Agreement between Egypt and Israel.
Al-Duwairi also dismissed Israel’s claim that it is staying in the corridor to prevent arms smuggling, noting that Egypt has stated since 2013 that it destroyed all tunnels along the border. He added, “When the Israeli army claimed to have discovered hundreds of tunnels during the war, Egypt denied these allegations.”
U.S. Support and Regional Pressure
Al-Duwairi believes that both Egypt and Qatar are exerting significant pressure to resolve this dispute and push Israel to withdraw. However, he pointed out that the real obstacle is the U.S. position, which has gone even further than Israel’s own stance.
He concluded that Israel’s actions are an attempt to pressure Hamas into making concessions regarding prisoners, adding that the resistance movement remains capable of maintaining a balanced approach between military and humanitarian considerations at this time.
Preventing Any Truce
Major General Mohammed Al-Samadi echoed this view, stating that Israel’s insistence on remaining in the corridor reflects its effort to prevent any regional de-escalation. He argued that this move is an attempt to compensate for Israel’s failures in settlement expansion and to implement military strategies in northern Gaza.
Al-Samadi added that Israel’s pretext for staying in the corridor is expected, given the support it receives from the U.S. administration. He stressed that Israel does not need to remain in the Philadelphi Corridor but is using its presence there to pressure for its objectives, including:
- Recovering Israeli captives
- Removing resistance leaders
- Disarming Gaza
He warned that unconditional U.S. support is pushing the region toward an Israeli expansion strategy, stating, “If the upcoming Cairo meeting does not produce a firm and unified stance to curb this Zionist expansion, the entire region will be in serious danger—especially with Trump giving Israel a green light to act as it pleases.”
Israeli Conditions for Withdrawal
Earlier today, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen outlined four conditions for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Philadelphi Corridor:
- Return of Israeli captives
- Removal of Hamas
- Disarmament of Gaza
- Full Israeli control over the territory
The ceasefire agreement stipulates that Israeli forces must withdraw from the corridor on the 50th day, which falls on Saturday. However, Netanyahu’s government has reneged on this commitment, jeopardizing the deal’s survival.
