Since the first phase of terms between Israel and Hamas ends this weekend, the future of the truce remains cloudy. What happens in the key strap of the earth along the border between Egypt and Gaza in the next week could indicate that things will move forward.
Israel should start withdrawing the trunk on Sunday from the border area, known as the Philadelphi corridor, and leave it completely next weekend. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has long said that Israeli control has been a fundamental security national interest, injecting uncertainty during this step.
What is the Philadelphia corridor?
Eight -kilometer comic strip that divides the gauze from Egypt, the Philadelphhi corridor appeared as a major point for forcing the conversations between Israel and Hamas. The border, which divides the city of Rafah, was placed under a peace contract from Egypt-Rajela from 1979.
After Hamas took complete control of Gaza in 2007, his fighters and officials monitored the border of the enclave with Egypt and Rafah’s transition, the only way out of Gaza to the outside world that Israel did not directly monitor.
Israeli officials claimed that Hamas smuggled weapons and materials for their fighters with the entire Egyptian border. In September, Mr. Netanyahu called the Philadelphi corridor “Hamas’s oxygen valve”.
In May, the Israeli troops progressed with the corridor as part of the army attack on Rafah. For months after that, Mr. Netanyahu claimed that leaving the area would endanger Israeli security by allowing Hamas to return.
But at the same time, Mr. Netanyahu pledged to withdraw from the border area as part of the appearance.
What should happen this week?
Israeli negotiators are in Cairo for meetings with Egyptian and Qatari mediators to discuss the following steps in tribute. Last week, Hamas officials visited the Egyptian capital for their own discussions.
According to a three -part agreement on the termination of fire between Israel and Hamas, Israeli forces should withdraw from the corridor from Philadelphi for six weeks to the truce, matching the end of the first phase of the agreement. That would be on Saturday.
Two sides concluded the final replacement of hostages for prison in the first phase of the agreement on Thursday. They have not yet negotiated the following steps, which would include the permanent end of the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
Israel should leave the corridor by the end of next week, according to the fire interruption agreement. The vacuum could fulfill the Hamas, which again confirmed its power in Gaza since the truce entered into force in mid -January.
Will Israel actually withdraw?
Israel agreed to leave the border area until the 50th day of the tribute, which would be in early March. The refusal of adherence to this obligation would be considered a major violation and added even more uncertainty already insecure.
But if the withdrawal continues according to the schedule, this could add the momentum of the surveillance of the mediator to provide the following steps in the tribute.
Both Israel and Hamas have a reason to avoid another circle of fighting for at least for now. Hamas wants to give his forces the opportunity to recover, while Israel wants to bring home the remaining hostages.
But the prospect of a comprehensive agreement between Israel and Hamas still looks distant.
Israel conditioned a comprehensive agreement on the end of Hamas’s control in Gaza and demilitarization of the enclave, and both hamas mainly rejected. Israeli leaders vowed to destroy Hamas in response to deadly on October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel, but failed to remove the group in Gaza, despite 15 months of relentless fights that devastated the territory and killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
