Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fiercely defended his claim to retain control of the strategically vital Philadelphia corridor, despite pressure from critics for him to make concessions on this point to secure a deal to release the hostages.
“What has changed? What has changed this week?” Netanyahu said at an English-language press conference on Wednesday. “What has changed is that they have killed six of our hostages in cold blood.”
“After this massacre, the world will seriously demand concessions from Israel. What message will that send to Hamas?” he continued. “The message will be: kill more hostages, and you'll get more concessions. This is not only illogical, this is not only immoral, this is completely insane. So it's not going to happen.”
“Even before the murders, we had red lines in place. That hasn't changed. We will continue to abide by it,” he insisted.
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Netanyahu said last week The Times of Israel reported: The prime minister told Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant that he prioritized the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) presence along the 7.8-mile Philadelphia Corridor over saving the lives of the hostages remaining in Gaza.
The country's largest labor union, the Histadrut, called on Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire and ensure the release of all remaining hostages, and tried to pressure the government through protests, but a labor court ultimately halted the protests, NPR reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference at the Government Press Office (GPO) in Jerusalem on September 4, 2024. (Abir Sultan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Corridor runs along the Gaza-Egypt border, where the Rafah crossing is located, and Netanyahu has argued it remains key to maintaining the country's defense and security in the wake of the fall of Hamas.
The declaration came amid a “heated security cabinet meeting” that further highlighted the rift between the prime minister and his defence minister. Gallant also reportedly accused Netanyahu of imposing his position on the security establishment.
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On August 25, following the IDF's preemptive strikes against Hezbollah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant oversaw a meeting at the Israeli Defense Ministry. (Israel Government Press Office)
“The choice is between keeping the IDF in the Philadelphia corridor or bringing the hostages home. We're making the decision to stay in the Philadelphia corridor. Do you think that's reasonable?” Gallant said, according to a transcript of the meeting. “There are live (hostages) out there.”
When Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer countered that “the prime minister can do anything”, Gallant countered that Netanyahu “can decide to kill all the hostages”, sparking a backlash from other ministers, The Times of Israel reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu points to a map of the Gaza Strip during a press conference at the Government Press Office (GPO) in Jerusalem, September 4, 2024. (Abir Sultan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
A poll conducted after the meeting showed support for maintaining a military presence in the corridor by a majority of 8 to 1. Netanyahu ultimately decided it was important to explain to the public his reasons for maintaining the presence, which led to Wednesday's press conference.
Netanyahu cited several examples of past deals proposed by the U.S. and negotiators and agreed to by Israel, but stressed that each time Hamas backed down and rejected the deal that was offered.
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Israeli troops patrol the Philadelphia Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border. (Photo: TPS-IL) (TPS-IL)
“I have been firm where I needed to be firm and flexible where I needed to be flexible, but Hamas has been an obstacle from the beginning, and everyone knows that,” Netanyahu said, stressing that Hamas had not accepted any agreement, making it meaningless to ask whether Israel had insisted on control of the corridor in previous agreements.
In a defiant response to reporters' questions, Prime Minister Netanyahu stressed his determination to protect the country's defense and security at all costs and declared that Israel would continue with a range of humanitarian policies that have proven effective so far.
Demonstrators hold signs during an anti-government protest in front of the Israeli Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, September 4, 2024, demanding action for the release of Israeli hostages held captive since the October 7 attack on the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants. (Jack Guess/AFP via Getty Images)
He continued to stress that any ceasefire agreement must include a troop presence along the Philadelphia corridor or he feared “a repeat of what happened there before,” referring to the Oct. 7 attack.
Responding to a question about former hostage Aviva Siegel, who told reporters that Netanyahu was “sentencing her husband to death” by insisting on maintaining the Philadelphia Corridor, Netanyahu said control of the corridor was the only reason Hamas had given up on negotiations and the only way it would continue to cave in to Israel's demands.
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“We will do everything in our power to bring Keith and all the other hostages back,” Netanyahu said. “If you ease up on the pressure and withdraw from the Philadelphia corridor, I am telling you that you will not get the hostages back.”
“Of course, we will have many of them stay there. We can kick out a few, and they will give it to us, but they will leave a lot behind,” Netanyahu argued. “We will not be able to apply pressure, and something else will happen. We will not be able to go back.”
