Israel ready for all scenarios with Philadelphi Corridor amid Gaza cease-fire talks: Army chief

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi announced Wednesday that the military is preparing for all scenarios concerning the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border, depending on political decisions.

Halevi made these remarks during a visit to one of the military positions along the site, accompanied by senior military officials, ahead of Thursday’s scheduled negotiations in the Qatari capital Doha aimed at reaching a cease-fire agreement that includes a potential hostage swap deal between Israel and Hamas.

“Holding the Philadelphi Route is an important thing because it deals with Hamas’s force buildup,” Halevi claimed.

He said the army is “ready to maintain a strong presence on the corridor if the political leadership decides to do so, but is also prepared to monitor and raid the area as needed if a different approach is taken.

“If it (political leadership) decides that we’re staying in Philadelphi, we’ll know how to stay there and stay strong.”

He said if the leadership “decides that we must monitor the area and carry out raids whenever we have an indication, we will know how to do it.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted on Israeli forces remaining along the Philadelphi Corridor as part of any cease-fire agreement, citing concerns about weapons smuggling. Egypt, however, has strongly opposed this position, rejecting any Israeli claims in the area.

Hamas has also demanded that Israel withdraw completely from Gaza, including the Rafah crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor, as a condition for any cease-fire and hostage swap deal.

According to Israeli media, discussions on the Philadelphi Corridor have taken place in secret with mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and the US, with Israel proposing technological monitoring and drone patrols along the border if military forces are eventually withdrawn.

Hamas will participate in the upcoming Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap talks if Israel makes a clear commitment to implement the US President Joe Biden-backed proposal, a group leader said earlier on Wednesday.

Last May, Biden said Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, and the reconstruction of Gaza.

“The movement will not be part of the upcoming negotiations set to resume on Thursday, whether they take place in Doha or Cairo,” Hamas member Suhail Hindi told Anadolu.

He said the resistance group has requested a “clear commitment from Israel regarding what was agreed upon on July 2 (based on Biden-backed proposal).”

“If this happens, Hamas is ready to engage in the implementation mechanisms of the agreement,” he added.

On Sunday, Hamas demanded that Gaza cease-fire mediators present a plan to implement a proposal supported by Biden that it had agreed upon on July 2.

It came after Egyptian, Qatari, and US mediators urged Israel and Hamas last week to reach a cease-fire and hostage release deal with no further delays or excuses.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Wednesday announced that his negotiating team will travel to Qatar for a round of talks scheduled for Thursday.

Indirect talks mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt have failed to agree on a permanent cease-fire and a hostage-prisoner swap due to Netanyahu’s refusal to accept Hamas’ demand to end the war in Gaza.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack last year by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

Nearly 40,000 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and over 92,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

More than 10 months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

The International Court of Justice has accused Israel of genocide and ordered a halt to its military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge before the city was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio