Listen to the article
Negotiations for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel appear to have broken down. One of the reasons being the tight control over the Philadelphi Corridor. This buffer zone lies between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, and its control was taken over (from Egypt) by the Israelis last May.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the Israeli army would remain in the Philadelphi corridor. Hamas and Egypt insist on an Israeli withdrawal from this border zone.
What is the Philadelphi Corridor?
This corridor is a strip of land 14km long and 100 meters wide along the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, extending from the Mediterranean to the Karm Abou Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing point. The corridor includes the Rafah crossing to Egypt — the only outlet from the strip not controlled by Israel — and divides the city of Rafah into two: the Palestinian side and the Egyptian side.
This designation originated in 1979 with the Camp David Peace Accords between Egypt and Israel. While the Sinai was returned to Egypt, the goal of the corridor was to serve as a buffer zone and was placed under Israeli control at the time to guard against any attack or arms flow to Gaza.
In 2005, control of this corridor passed to Cairo when Tel Aviv decided to withdraw its troops from Gaza. Egypt was then authorized by the “Philadelphi Agreement,” and for the first time since the peace treaty, to deploy 750 lightly armed border guards. It also committed to collaborating against any arms trafficking at its border, while the other side was controlled by the Palestinian Authority. This was without counting the rise to power of Hamas in Gaza in 2007.
The Philadelphi Agreement stipulates that it does not constitute amendments to the peace treaty with Israel, meaning the Philadelphi Corridor and East Sinai (adjacent to the Gulf of Aqaba and the border with Gaza) remain demilitarized zones.
Egypt’s Position
In January, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that Hamas was continuing to smuggle weapons and that the war would not end until this breach was closed. On December 30, 2023, he also stated his intention to take control of this strip of land.
In the past, in 2008, at the start of the blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza after Hamas took power, thousands of people crossed into Egypt after Hamas destroyed the border wall.
According to the AP agency, Israel officially asked Egypt in mid-December to deploy its forces in the corridor. Egypt refused, fearing that a ground operation in the region would bring thousands of Palestinians into Sinai. Since the beginning of the war, Egypt has strongly opposed calls for a Palestinian exodus, fearing they will not return home once the war is over, just like the refugees from 1948 who are still in various host countries.
Strategic Stakes
For Egypt, the corridor represents control of the Rafah crossing point, giving it considerable influence in Palestinian affairs.
The creation of a new Israeli presence along the border between Gaza and Egypt would have repercussions for the country’s security.
The dispute is also an important issue for Israel. Netanyahu wants to reassure his fellow citizens, who are increasingly critical of his handling of the war and the hostage fiasco.
What is certain, however, is that a prolonged occupation by the Hebrew state of this buffer zone does not look good for peace negotiations. Could it also be a prelude to an amendment of the Camp David agreement between Egypt and Israel?
