Netanyahu says he will not compromise on Philadelphi Corridor on Gaza-Egypt border

By Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he will not compromise on keeping troops in the Philadelphi Corridor, located on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Sunday.

Netanyahu responded to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's remarks in the Cabinet meeting, saying: "I want to release our hostages just as much as you do."

Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called for the immediate convening of the Security Cabinet to reverse its decision to keep forces in the Philadelphi Corridor.

In a statement on X, Gallant said: “The Security Cabinet must convene immediately and reverse the decision made on Thursday.”

Responding to the demand, Netanyahu said: "Even after the murder of the hostages, we won't compromise on the Philadelphi route."

"The decision we made in the last Cabinet meeting was righteous. To cancel it now? After the awful murder of our hostages?" he asked.

This came hours after the Israeli army said that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages from the southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli daily Haaretz, citing an Israeli source, said three of the six hostages were supposed to be released in the first stage of the prisoner swap deal currently being negotiated.

"They appeared in the lists given over at the beginning of July. It was possible to bring them back alive," the source said.

Hamas said that the six hostages were killed as a result of ongoing Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.

Israel estimates that over 100 hostages remain held by Hamas in Gaza, some of whom are believed to have been already killed.

On Thursday, the Security Cabinet approved the army’s continued presence in the Philadelphi Corridor as part of any proposed hostage exchange and cease-fire agreement.

With this decision, the Cabinet officially adopted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s position regarding the Philadelphi Corridor.

For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and a cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’ demands to stop the war.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,700 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 94,100 injuries, according to local health authorities.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.