It has been reported that the Israeli Security Cabinet has approved the continuation of the occupation by Israeli troops in the Philadelphi Corridor on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
According to Israeli media reports, the Israeli army presented the Security Cabinet with the maps drawn for the continuation of the occupation in the Philadelphi Corridor. In the vote, it was stated that the proposal was accepted, with 8 out of 10 members of the Security Cabinet voting in favour of the continuation of the Israeli army’s occupation in the Philadelphi Corridor.
It was noted that Defence Minister Yoav Gallant voted against the proposal and the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir did not attend the meeting.
At the meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the ‘necessity’ of the continued occupation of the corridor.
Netanyahu also claimed that the move would not ‘complicate the prisoner exchange’ between Israel and Hamas, but would ‘make a possible agreement even more possible’.
An unnamed Israeli official claimed that the US had ‘approved’ the maps prepared by the Israeli army for the continued occupation of the Philadelphi Corridor and presented to the security cabinet.
One of the biggest obstacles to the prisoner swap
Netanyahu has been criticised for trying to block a prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu had demanded some new conditions for a possible deal, including Israeli army control of the Philadelphi Corridor, after the prisoner swap negotiations came back on the agenda.
Criticism from prisoners’ families
It is said that the negotiations have become more difficult because of the new conditions imposed by Netanyahu.
Relatives of Israeli prisoners issued a written statement following the security cabinet’s decision. After almost a year of neglect, Netanyahu is not missing a single opportunity to ensure that there will be no agreement,’ the statement said, referring to the Israeli Prime Minister. The statement stressed that Netanyahu’s steps ‘jeopardise’ the release of all prisoners.
