Israel has confirmed it will not withdraw its military forces from the Philadelphi Corridor in Gaza, potentially endangering the fragile ceasefire agreement with Hamas. The corridor, a strategic 8.6-mile strip along Gaza’s border with Egypt, was slated to begin Israeli troop withdrawals by Saturday, with a complete pullout expected by March 9, 2025.
However, an Israeli official stated that Israeli forces will remain in the area to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons. Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, revealed recent discoveries of smuggling tunnels, though Egypt has claimed that such tunnels were destroyed years ago.
Hamas has warned that any attempt by Israel to stay in the corridor would violate the ceasefire deal, which has been in place since January 2025. The warning comes hours after Hamas released the remains of four Israeli hostages as part of a prisoner exchange, signaling the conclusion of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. Over 600 Palestinian prisoners were freed in return.
Negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire, which were initially set to begin weeks ago, are expected to resume shortly. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sent negotiators to Cairo, with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff also expected to visit the region to facilitate discussions.
As the ceasefire continues, both sides maintain differing demands, with Israel seeking to dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities, while Hamas insists on full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for releasing all remaining hostages.