Israeli Officials Say IDF Troops Will Not Leave Philadelphia Corridor

IDF patrol in Philadelphia Corridor. (Twitter/@AvniItamar)

JAKARTA - Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) will not leave Philadelphia Corridor, an Israeli official said in a statement on condition of anonymity, Philadelphia, although a ceasefire required the IDF to leave the Egyptian-Gaza border by the end of the first phase.

"We will not leave Philadelphia Corridor. We will not allow Hamas killers to roam back on our borders with pickup trucks and weapons, and we will not allow them to arm themselves again through smuggling," the Israeli official said, asserting Hamas had used the route to smuggle weapons into Gaza. , quoted from The Times of Israel 27 February.

In July, when the Israeli hostage negotiating team believed they were close to reaching a hostage-taking deal with Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added new conditions aimed at maintaining Israel's presence in Philadelphia Corridor, thus thwarting negotiations, Israeli and Arab officials told The Times of Israel.

However, in the end, PM Netanyahu's deal six months later required Israel to start completing its troop withdrawal from Philadelphia Corridor on the 42nd day of the first phase, Sunday, completing the troop withdrawal on the 50th day of the ceasefire (March 10).

The announcement of the Israeli official comes shortly after Israeli authorities finished identifying the last four hostage bodies released in the first phase.

Last month, unnamed sources told media Asharq Al-Awsat that an agreement was reached at a meeting between Israel's head of security and Egypt's chief intelligence, the Palestinian Authority would manage Gaza's side of the Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt, under "international surveillance and monitoring by the United Nations. It was attended by the Head of the Shin Bet, Chief of Mossad and Chief of Intelligence of Egypt.

According to the source, there is still no agreement on the Philadelphia Corridor, which stretches along the border between Gaza and Egypt, but "the difference of opinion is technical and will be resolved."

Earlier, Israeli diplomatic officials in January denied they agreed to a gradual withdrawal of IDF personnel from the Philadelphia Corridor.