Egypt Rejects Israeli Control of the Philadelphi Corridor

On Tuesday, an Egyptian high-ranking official said that any Israeli attempt to control the Philadelphi Corridor along the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip is "unacceptable."

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"No new arrangements have been discussed with Israel regarding the Philadelphi Corridor on the border, and any Israeli unilateral moves in this regard are unacceptable," the unnamed Egyptian official was quoted as saying by Egypt's Al-Qahera News TV.

The remarks came a week after Diaa Rashwan, the chairman of Egypt's State Information Service, warned that Israel's retaking control of the Philadelphi Corridor would violate its 1979 peace treaty with Egypt.

Also known as "The Philadelphi Route," this corridor is a 100-meter wide, 14-km-long buffer zone along the Egypt-Gaza border.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently expressed his desire to retake control of the corridor to ensure future demilitarization of Gaza and prevent the alleged smuggling of weapons into Gaza through border tunnels. Rashwan also denied last week the Israeli claims about the weapon smuggling from Egypt to Gaza.

The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza has been a major lifeline to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in the war-ravaged enclave, which has witnessed relentless Israeli bombings and a massive military offensive since last year.

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli occupation forces have killed 26,751 Palestinians and injured 65,636 people. The death toll figures could be higher due to the undetermined number of Palestinians trapped under the rubble of buildings and homes.