Israel: minister threatens to dissolve government if army withdraws from Philadelphi Corridor

Israel’s Settlements Minister from the far-right Religious Zionism party threatened on Tuesday to dissolve Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government if the army withdraws from the Philadelphi Corridor on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Israel’s Maariv newspaper quoted Orit Strook as making her comment during a visit to the Karam Abu Salem border crossing.

Netanyahu announced over the weekend that Israel would remain in the Philadelphia axis. His office had denied reports on Friday that the government is discussing with Cairo the withdrawal if a wall is built on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

However, Egypt categorically rejects Israeli forces remaining in the Philadelphi Corridor. Hamas insists on a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, including the Rafah crossing and the strip of land along the border, as a basic condition for reaching a deal that includes the exchange of hostages and ending the war.

The Israeli army announced its full control over the corridor on 29 May. It claimed at the time that it had discovered “at least 20 tunnels extending from Gaza to the Egyptian Sinai territories,” according to Israel’s Channel 12.

A senior Egyptian official denied the existence of tunnels, though, calling the claims “lies spread by Tel Aviv with the aim of covering up its military failure in Gaza,” reported Egypt’s Al-Qahera News.

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