Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refuted claims that he consented to withdraw military forces from the Gaza-Egypt border as part of a potential ceasefire agreement with Hamas, his office stated. Contrary to reports by Israel’s state-owned Kan TV, the current ceasefire proposal backed by the US, which includes the release of hostages and was announced by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as accepted by Israel on Monday, purportedly involves the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Philadelphi Corridor, a strategic border area between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Both Hamas and Egypt, who play a pivotal role in the negotiations, are said to oppose Israeli control of the corridor.
Netanyahu labeled these reports as “incorrect” and stressed that Israel has not consented to cede control of the area, as reported by Xinhua news agency, citing his office’s Wednesday statement.
“Israel will insist on achieving all of its war objectives as defined by the Security Cabinet, including ensuring that Gaza never again poses a security threat to Israel,” the statement said.
“This requires securing the southern border,” it added. Also on Wednesday, Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden spoke by phone to discuss advancing the ceasefire-for-hostages deal, the White House said in a statement, without elaborating.
Israeli military officials have consistently asserted that Israel can fulfill its security requirements without controlling the Philadelphi Corridor. The Israeli Ynet news website cited unnamed Israeli security officials who criticized Netanyahu for obstructing the negotiation process, suggesting that his insistence on maintaining control over the corridor might compromise the agreement.