U.N. vehicles drive on a road along the Philadelphi or Salaheddine corridor, a narrow buffer zone along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, on Jan. 14, 2024. (Credit: Mahmoud Hams/AFP)
The cease-fire in Gaza is facing yet another obstacle. A few days before the expiration of the first phase of the truce, which came into effect on Jan. 19, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized the Israel's determination to retain control of the Philadelphi Corridor. "The Philadelphia Corridor will remain a buffer zone, just as we have maintained in Lebanon and Syria," he said on Feb. 27, in a televised address on Channel 12, referring to the strip of land along the border between the Palestinian enclave and Egypt.On the same day, his Energy Minister colleague, Eli Cohen, also insisted on the strategic importance of the corridor, also known as Salaheddine. He said that Israeli forces would only withdraw once three crucial objectives have been achieved: the full return of hostages, the eviction of Hamas from power and the total...
The cease-fire in Gaza is facing yet another obstacle. A few days before the expiration of the first phase of the truce, which came into effect on Jan. 19, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized the Israel's determination to retain control of the Philadelphi Corridor. "The Philadelphia Corridor will remain a buffer zone, just as we have maintained in Lebanon and Syria," he said on Feb. 27, in a televised address on Channel 12, referring to the strip of land along the border between the Palestinian enclave and Egypt.On the same day, his Energy Minister colleague, Eli Cohen, also insisted on the strategic importance of the corridor, also known as Salaheddine. He said that Israeli forces would only withdraw once three crucial objectives have been achieved: the full return of hostages, the eviction of Hamas from power and the...