ITAI’s Special Bulletin #XXIII

September 5, 2024 

Israel must not under any circumstances give up the Philadelphi Corridor, which forms a barrier between Egyptian Sinai and the Gaza Strip.  In 2005, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made a fatal strategic decision when he ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor. As a consequence, when Hamas took over control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, it was able to smuggle weapons into Gaza through the tunnels they have built with Qatari and Iranian funds.

The Egyptian government and military deliberately allowed Hamas operatives to smuggle into Gaza materials to build rockets and a variety of other arms.  Although Cairo has a peace treaty with Israel, the Egyptian people and a significant element of the ruling class consider the Jewish state an enemy.

If Israel would withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, Hamas will be able to fully rearm in a few months and another cycle of violence such as they perpetrated on October 7, 2023, will be repeated. 

Israel’s national hero, Brig. General Avigdor Kahalani, a trusted non-partisan voice amidst the political squabbling, made it very clear in a recent interview on Israel 24 Hebrew, that Israel cannot and mustn’t leave the Philadelphi Corridor.  Should the US offer to send a number of battalions to manage the corridor, it would be a temporary arrangement, and the American public would sooner rather than later demand their withdraw. That is why Israel must only trust the IDF to do the job.

While every Israeli, regardless of political affiliation prays for the return of our Israeli hostages from the cruel bondage in Hamas’ tunnels in Gaza, Israel must find another way to bring the hostages’ home. Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ chief terrorist isn’t interested in giving up the hostages since they are an insurance policy for his survival. And, in the end, it will take another brilliant IDF operation in Gaza, to locate the hostages and free them, provided that Sinwar doesn’t order their execution as he did with the six murdered Israeli hostages.

Finally, the Biden/Harris administration must use their leverage on Qatar and Egypt, to do more than arrange talks.  Both Cairo and Doha have immense leverage over Hamas to force them to handover the hostages in exchange of Palestinian prisoners. That must be the nature of the hostage deal. Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages and no other demands.