Middle EastAnalysis

Netanyahu’s refusal to yield on Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors key to reported collapse of Gaza ceasefire talks

Fears of immediate wider regional war and retaliatory attacks by Iran and Hizbullah on Israel lessen for time being

Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu insists Israel could resume fighting after the expiry of an initial temporary truce during which Israeli hostages would be freed in accordance with Joe Biden’s phased plan to end the war in Gaza.
Michael Jansen's picture
Michael Jansen
Fri Aug 23 2024 - 16:59

Although the US has denied that Gaza ceasefire talks have broken down, Tdifferences over fundamental issues appear to have scuppered a summit in Cairo on Sunday at which it was hoped a deal would be announced.

As Israeli negotiators submitted compromises on Israeli troop deployments in Gaza, prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu declared, “Israel will not under any circumstances leave the Philadelphi corridor or the Netzarim corridor, despite the enormous pressure both at home and abroad.”

It had been hoped Netanyahu would be more accommodating after a phone conversation on Wednesday with US president Joe Biden, who urged the prime minister to remove “any remaining obstacles” to a deal.

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Netanyahu has also rejected US proposed deployment of international forces along the corridors and of West Bank-based Palestinian Authority officials at the Rafah passenger and goods crossing between Egypt and Gaza. The Israeli army has bulldozed homes and farmland in preparation for a buffer zone on the Gaza side of the border with Israel.

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The 14km-long Philadelphi corridor is a narrow buffer zone on both sides of the Egypt-Gaza border which was occupied by Israel in May during its Rafah offensive. Netanyahu claims Israeli forces must retain the corridor to prevent Hamas arms-smuggling from Egypt. His stance violates an Egyptian-Israeli agreement for the deployment of 75 Egyptian police along the corridor following Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza.

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The 7km Netzarim corridor is a wide east-west road bisecting Gaza which hosts military bases that control the movements of Palestinians between north and south and serve as starting points for Israeli army operations. Palestinians are banned from using this route.

Netanyahu also insists Israel could resume fighting after the expiry of an initial temporary truce during which Israeli hostages would be freed in accordance with Biden’s phased plan to end the war. Recent US proposals to bridge the gap between the two sides, but which favour Israel’s position, have been rejected by Hamas.

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Hamas – which is not involved in the Cairo talks – insists on sticking to Biden’s original plan to which it agreed on July 2nd. Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire ahead of hostage releases, full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Israeli renunciation of vetoes on Palestinian prisoners to be freed in exchange for Israeli hostages. Egypt also refuses an Israeli military presence along the Philadelphi corridor and the Rafah crossing.

It had been predicted that failure of ceasefire talks could precipitate regional war. While negotiations have continued, Tehran and Lebanon’s Hizbullah have paused punitive attacks on Israel in retaliation for last month’s Israeli assassinations of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hizbullah military strategist Fuad Shukr in Beirut. However, retaliation does not appear to be imminent. Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards spokesman Mohammed Naeini said on Tuesday, “Time is at our disposal, and the waiting period for this answer may be a long one.” Hizbullah could follow Iran’s example.