Israel will not withdraw from Philadelphi Corridor despite ceasefire deal, official claims

Israel will not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, which bridges the border between Gaza and Egypt, a senior official has claimed.

In a statement sent to Israeli media on condition of anonymity, the official wrote that the IDF would remain in the narrow strip of territory in order to prevent Hamas from “rearming through smuggling”.

The Corridor runs along the southern edge of Gaza, taking in the border with Egypt and, vitally, the Rafah Crossing – a key border post through which the flow of goods and people into and out of Gaza can be regulated.

The IDF initially withdrew from the area in 2005 during the disengagement from Gaza, with control of the crossing handed over to the Palestinian Authority.

But the ground was seized again in May last year as part of the offensive in Gaza and Israel’s closure of the crossing became a subject of intense controversy.

IDF commanders maintained that control of the crossing was crucial in preventing the smuggling of weapons and terrorists into the Strip, but international humanitarian organisations accused the military of preventing aid from reaching Gazans by closing it.

A full withdrawal from the Corridor is scheduled for the second phase of the unfolding ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, but the unnamed official was adamant that it would not take place, writing: “We will not leave the Philadelphi Corridor. We will not allow the Hamas murderers to again roam our borders with pickup trucks and guns, and we will not allow them to rearm through smuggling.”

The report comes as uncertainty lingers over whether Israel will allow ceasefire talks to advance beyond Phase One.

As reported in this morning’s JC Israel Briefing, a major hurdle to the conclusion of the first stage was overcome as Hamas returned the bodies of four hostages without the controversial handover ceremonies that have been a feature of previous releases. In exchange, as many as 602 Palestinian prisoners will be freed from Israeli jails today after their release was delayed from Saturday.

But the deadline to enter Phase Two negotiations is approaching next week and no agreement has yet been reached, with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu under significant pressure at home to pull out of the truce.

Far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich has indicated that he will resign if negotiations advance beyond the first stage, potentially collapsing the governing coalition, arguing for a return to fighting until “total victory” over Hamas is achieved. For his part, Netanyahu is said to favour an extension to Phase One rather than progress into Phase Two.

Likewise, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said yesterday that Hamas’ rule over Gaza is a “red line” for the White House and that a new governance arrangement must be agreed for negotiations to advance.

President Trump’s stated plan to “take over” Gaza and resettle its population looms as another major point of contention, with the proposal receiving Netanyahu’s backing but sparking intense backlash in the Arab world – tensions which were brought into sharper focus after Trump shared a bizarre AI video suggesting his vision of a future for the Strip, complete with golden statues of himself, belly dancers and money raining from the sky.