The ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel has reached yet another tense juncture as both sides struggle to agree on a potential ceasefire.
A new twist has emerged that could either pave the way for a breakthrough or plunge the situation into deeper uncertainty.
Hamas has said that there is no need for new ceasefire proposals for Gaza and pressure should be put on Israel to agree to a US plan that the Islamist group had already accepted.
This comes as the US is expected to present a new truce proposal aimed at breaking an impasse between Hamas and Israel soon.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu faces pressure from within Israel to seal a deal that would free remaining hostages, after IsraFeli authorities announced on Sunday the deaths of six whose bodies were recovered from a Gaza tunnel.
In a statement posted on Telegram early on Thursday, September 5, 2024, Hamas said that Netanyahu was attempting to thwart an agreement by insisting that Israel will not withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor in southern Gaza.
The issue has become a central obstacle in the talks.
“We warn against falling into Netanyahu’s trap and tricks, as he uses negotiations to prolong the aggression against our people,” the Hamas statement said, adding that it had accepted a 2 July proposal put forward by the US.
However, late Wednesday, September 4, 2024, Netanyahu claimed it was Hamas that was stalling the talks.
“We’re trying to find some area to begin the negotiations,” he said.
He added “They [Hamas] refuse to do that … [They said] there’s nothing to talk about.”
Netanyahu maintains that Israel must retain control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border to prevent weapons smuggling to Hamas, which has demanded a complete withdrawal from the area.
In late May, Hamas and Israel appeared close to a deal that would have seen an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the release of about 90 captives held in Gaza by armed groups and the release of hundreds of Palestinians from Israeli prisons.
However, Benjamin Netanyahu then added four non-negotiable conditions, including keeping control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14km (8.5-mile) strip of land bordering Egypt.
On Monday, Netanyahu doubled down: “The axis of evil needs the Philadelphi Corridor, and for that reason, we must control [it].
“Hamas insists for that reason that we not be there, and for that reason, I insist that we be there.”
Philadelphi Corridor; Netanyahu’s Excuse To Prolong War
Prior to the ongoing war, Israel had not been concerned with controlling the Philadelphi Corridor.
This has led critics to believe Netanyahu’s 11th-hour demand is related more to keeping the war on Gaza going than any real security concerns.
“It’s basically an excuse that Netanyahu is using at this point,” Zachary Lockman, a Palestine-Israel expert at New York University, opined.
Lockman added, “He’s looking for any pretext he can find to avoid a hostage or ceasefire deal.”
Netanyahu has come under domestic criticism from figures like his defence minister and fellow Likud party member, Yoav Gallant.
“The fact that we prioritise the Philadelphi Corridor at the cost of the lives of the hostages is a moral disgrace,” Gallant told Ministers.
Some military figures have criticised Netanyahu’s decision from a strategic standpoint.
Israeli army Chief of the General Staff, Herzi Halevi said that keeping soldiers at the Philadelphi Corridor would expose them to “unnecessary risk.”
According to analysts, Netanyahu understands that he is operating on borrowed time, that the end of the war could be the end of his premiership.
This is why he will keep multiple fires burning – in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon and beyond – until he gets to the point where he feels he can win another election.
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