Executive Summary:

This report takes us through the troubled landscapes of the Gaza Strip. It discusses the two corridors – Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor and what transpired to bring about its existence. It analyzes why Israel wanted to quite literally ‘cement’ its presence there notwithstanding its understanding with Egypt. It discusses what is at stake for each party involved and why they want to maintain a presence in the region. The report navigates its way through the military bases in the area and the corridor itself which is built upon the ruins of villages to understand the significance that this region holds and the implications that may entail. The report concludes that the cease-fire negotiations are highly unlikely to follow through with what it intended to do since both the warring sides are more focused on gaining territory than saving lives.

PHILADELPHI CORRIDOR

The Philadelphi Corridor is a stretch of land that runs from the Mediterranean to the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel. It is a 14-kilometer-long and 100-meter-wide fortified border between Gaza and Egypt. Salah Al Din is the name given to the Philadelphi Corridor by the Egyptians. This border that divides the city of Rafah came to being under the Egypt-Israeli Peace Treaty of 1979; a deal brokered by the US President Jimmy Carter between President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and the Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in the aftermath of a six-year-long war. It became the first peace treaty that Israel had signed with an Arab country. Under the deal Sinai Peninsula was given back to Egypt, the settlers were called back to Israel, two air bases were given up along with the oil fields that Israel had discovered. The treaty called for a complete Israeli withdrawal and Egypt agreed to not militarize the area. The Gaza side came under the control of the Palestinian Authority (PA) after that. Under an agreement signed between Egypt and Israel in 2005, also known as the Philadelphi Accord, Egypt would be able to deploy a number of 750 guards to patrol the corridor for counter-terrorism purposes. It was an initiative to curb the smuggling and infiltration going on. Ever since Hamas took control of the Gaza strip, thus culminating in joint authority with the PA; Israel enacted land, air and sea blockade over the region.

Back to the Forefront: why is the corridor in the spotlight again?

· By September 5, Israel had managed to build a 6.4km long road along the border. It had been the only crossing which was not controlled by Israel, the crossing was used for aid deliveries before May 7 of this year when the Israeli military laid a siege to the area. For this, Israel carried out air strikes to clear out the area.

· Bodies of 6 Israeli hostages were recovered from an underground tunnel in Gaza who were among the 200 people taken hostage by the militants since the war that started on October 7^th of the previous year. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said their bodies were found in a Hamas-operated tunnel under the city of Rafah. 3 of the hostages killed were supposed to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. This incident has led to a solidification of the ceasefire talks mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt.

Why won’t the discord thaw?

· Israel maintains that Hamas uses the tunnel underneath the corridor to smuggle weapons and people across the border. Prime Minister Netanyahu believes that the military’s presence there will put an end to this. He has referred to the corridor as ‘the lifeline’ of smuggling operations by Hamas. He expressed a desire to control the corridor in January. An Israeli delegate at the International Court of Justice reported that there were around 50 tunnels that were in use before their occupation of the region in May. Israel is determined to do away with this threat once and for all, at any cost. These tunnels have been said to be wide enough to accommodate vehicles, people and military equipment large enough to build rockets. Israel said that it is imperative for their troops to remain stationed in the Philadelphi corridor for the sake of their national security.

· Hamas has said that it will not accept any deal that does not presuppose a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Egypt is the only state except Israel to share a border with Gaza, Israel asserting its control in the region is seen as a sign to further cut off and isolate the Palestinians by the people there. It has been 17 years since a full blockade was implemented on the area by Israel. Since the war started, Rafah crossing was the main way for aid supply and getting people in medical emergencies out of the disputed area for treatment. Since May, these evacuations and aid have reduced drastically.

· Egypt is of the opinion that a presence of the Israeli forces along the border violates the terms of the peace treaty signed between them in the year 1979. The Egyptian guards had been policing the area since the 2005 agreement and the authorities claim to have blocked and shut down the underground tunnels from their side.

NETZARIM CORRIDOR

It is a 6km tract that divides the northern and southern Gaza. It stretches from Israel’s boundary with Gaza to the Mediterranean Sea. It runs east to west just south of Gaza City. It bifurcates Gaza’s two major crossings from north to south- Salah Al Din Road and al-Rashid Road. The corridor gets its name from the Netzarim settlement in the area before they were evacuated as part of a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in the year 2005. It was the second-finger of the five-finger strategy of the then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. This corridor was meant to strategically divide Gaza. The military demolished villages to establish their bases in the region. Satellite images of villages in ruin can be seen. Hamas has made the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the region as a central demand of the cease-fire negotiations.

Three functioning bases have been established in the region since March. It ensures quick deploying of the Israeli troops throughout the enclave. Around 750 buildings are said to have been destroyed to carve out what seems to be a buffer-zone. The IDF have said that the road lets them cross from one side of the strip to the other side within 7 minutes. It was used as a base in the attack in Zeitoun in northern Gaza.

Conclusion:

The Israeli military is highly unlikely to retreat and bow out of a region that they actively chose to seize. They paint it as a matter of their national security and a threat to their very existence. Hamas will not accept a deal that does not entail a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Both parties have accused each other of not fully committing to the ceasefire-talks. Both the parties involved maintain that the other party adds new clauses to the initial ceasefire understanding which is not acceptable. It is quite clear that none of the parties really want a cease-fire, instead they use these diplomatic talks to gather intel on each other’s intention while continuing their respective onslaught. No party wants to be accused on an international level, of not indulging in the possibility of a peaceful resolution if such a deal is on the table. Accountability is what the parties are trying to skillfully avoid when the civilians, the real victims; are caught in a political battle of who is the master.