Netanyahu Denies Report that Israel Open to UN Mission Patrolling Gaza–Egypt Border

August 23, 2024

by: Joshua Spurlock ~ The Mideast Update

Friday, 23 August 2024 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally denied reports twice in a span of two days this week that Israel is prepared to relinquish control of the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, also known as the Philadelphi Corridor.

One report, from the Qatari Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper, claimed that as part of the ceasefire-hostage negotiations with Hamas, Israel was open to allowing a collection of international forces—including a United Nations monitoring team—to watch the border, while gradually withdrawing Israeli troops from the area.

On Thursday, Netanyahu’s office put out a statement that said, “The report, according to which the idea of stationing a multi-national force along the Philadelphi Corridor is being considered, is incorrect. Prime Minister Netanyahu insists on the principle that Israel control the Philadelphi Corridor in order to prevent Hamas from rearming itself, which would afford it the capability of repeating the atrocities of October 7.”

In a press release just one day earlier, Netanyahu denied reports that Israel was willing to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, with the Prime Minister’s Office saying, “Israel will insist on the achievement of all of its objectives for the war, as they have been defined by the Security Cabinet, including that Gaza never again constitutes a security threat to Israel. This requires securing the southern border.”

The Philadelphi Corridor has been a crucial weapons smuggling region for Hamas, who had built a large array of more than 150 tunnels under the border. That includes at least one tunnel in the area that was 3 meters (almost 10 feet) high and large enough to drive a jeep through, according to an August 4 post on the IDF’s [Israel Defense Forces] account on X.

The current negotiations center around release of the 105 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas, kidnapped as part of the Gaza group’s terror rampage on October 7 that also murdered around 1,200 Israelis. In response to the attack, Israel launched the current Gaza war to defeat Hamas and recover the hostages, with the sides now locked in ongoing negotiations on swapping hostages for terrorists in Israeli prisons and a ceasefire.

Not surprisingly, control of the border is a key negotiating point for Hamas, who wants to rebuild their Gaza terror army and infrastructure. While Israel is under significant pressure to compromise on the border—Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported an international peacekeeping force was previously suggested by United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken—there are also voices inside Israel backing Netanyahu’s position to hold the crossing.

The Jerusalem Post editorial on Thursday formally came out in opposition to relinquishing control of the Philadelphi Corridor. In a post to his X account promoting the column, Jerusalem Post Editor-In-Chief Zvika Klein wrote: “Netanyahu’s firm stance on securing the Philadelphi Corridor is crucial for Israel’s safety. Past mistakes can’t be repeated—only an IDF presence will prevent Gaza from becoming a fortress again.”

Meanwhile, in a strategic analysis published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA), retired Israeli brigadier general Yossi Kuperwasser argued that Israel’s presence on the border to prevent weapons smuggling and more is “essential.” In the column, Kuperwasser said the odds that international or Arab forces could “effectively meet this challenge are paltry. This idea was tried in the past and failed miserably.”

In 2007, for example, the European Union monitors charged with the Rafah Crossing ended their mission after Hamas took over Gaza. A post to X on Thursday by the JCPA on their latest analysis said: “Pulling out from the #Philadelphi_corridor? Think again. Israel’s presence here is the frontline against terror, blocking a flood of weapons into #Gaza. Abandoning it would be a gift to extremists and a disaster for regional stability.”

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, without directly commenting on the ongoing talks with Hamas, highlighted the importance of the IDF’s work on Egypt–Gaza border during a visit on Wednesday to the Philadelphi Corridor. He said that over 150 tunnels had been destroyed in the region.

“I gave an immediate directive to the IDF to destroy remaining tunnels,” said Gallant. “It is critical to remember the goals of the war and to achieve them—regarding Hamas, regarding the hostages [held by Hamas], and we also understand why we are looking toward the north.”

Posted on August 23, 2024

Source: (This article was originally published by The Mideast Update on August 15, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today.)

Photo Credit: Idobi/Wikimedia.org

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