Security concerns lead Israel to reject Philadelphi Corridor pullout MAP

An Israeli official has stated that Israel will not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, despite the ceasefire agreement's stipulation for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to pull out by the end of the first phase.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official explained that Israel will not allow Hamas militants to roam the borders with weapons or rearm through smuggling, Caliber.Az reports via Israeli media.

"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 official said, emphasizing that the corridor has been used by Hamas to transport weapons into Gaza.

In July, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had introduced new conditions aimed at maintaining Israel's presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, a move that had disrupted early hostage negotiations with Hamas. Despite these developments, the current agreement still requires Israel to begin its withdrawal from the corridor on March 1 and complete it by March 10.

This announcement follows the identification of the final four hostages' remains from the first stage of the ceasefire agreement, marking the end of that phase. Efforts to extend the first stage or advance talks for the second stage of the deal are still ongoing.

Reports from foreign media had suggested Israel would withdraw by March 9 as part of the deal. However, Israel's clarification indicates the pull-out will not happen, citing security concerns due to Hamas' ongoing violations of the ceasefire, including attempted rocket launches and fears of Hamas regaining strength.

By Vafa Guliyeva