Israel’s Netanyahu Demands Unlimited Control Over Gaza-Egypt Border

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel must maintain open control of the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt, reiterating his stance on an issue that threatens to derail ceasefire efforts.

Netanyahu’s comments come as the United States is working on a new proposal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, hoping to break the long stalemate and end the nearly 11-month war.

The issue of Israeli control of the Philadelphia Corridor – a narrow strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border that the army seized in May – has become a major stumbling block in the talks, with Hamas demanding an eventual full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as part of a multi-stage ceasefire agreement.

Egypt, a mediator in the talks along with the U.S. and Qatar, has also demanded a specific timetable for Israeli troops to leave the Philadelphia corridor. And on Wednesday, the United Arab Emirates, which established formal ties with Israel under the 2020 Abraham Accords, also criticized Israel’s position.

Speaking to foreign journalists, Netanyahu reiterated his position that Israel must maintain control of the border to prevent Hamas from rearming by smuggling weapons into Gaza. He said this is a key part of the war goal of ensuring Hamas does not repeat its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

“Gaza must be demilitarized, and that can only happen if the Philadelphia corridor remains under tight control,” he said, claiming that Israeli soldiers have discovered dozens of tunnels under the border.

He said Israel would only consider withdrawing from the corridor if an alternative force emerged that could patrol it.

“Bring me someone who can really show us … that they can actually prevent a resurgence” of smuggling, he said. “I don’t see that happening now. And until that happens, we’re there.”

The families of the remaining hostages have stepped up their demands for him to agree to a deal after Hamas killed six hostages last week as Israeli troops apparently moved to rescue them. In angry public statements, the hostages’ families have accused Netanyahu of blocking the deal and potentially sacrificing the lives of their loved ones to hold the border strip. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in recent days, demanding a deal and saying time is running out to bring the hostages home alive.

Netanyahu has pushed back against this pressure, saying his stance was necessary to “ensure that Hamas does not pose a threat to Israel.”

“I understand the suffering of families,” he said. “But the responsibility of leaders is not just to share sentiment, emotion, but also to exercise judgment.”

Asked by reporters for a timeline for ending the war, he declined to provide one. “How long can we do it? As long as it takes us to achieve that victory. And I think we’re getting closer,” he said.

Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed that holding the border would also put pressure on Hamas to release the hostages. At one point, he falsely claimed that the invasion of Rafah in May had forced Hamas to first release hostages — which had happened months earlier, in November, as part of a week-long ceasefire agreement. He then said the agreement was “the result of our invasion, the military pressure that we put on them.”