Hamas leader says mediators to discuss Israeli-occupied Philadelphi Corridor

Hamas' senior political leader Moussa Abu Marzouk said mediators will be meeting on Monday to discuss the Philadelphi Corridor, referring to the corridor that separates the Gaza Strip from Egypt, as a ceasefire deal remains at a standstill.

The leader made the comments in an interview with The New Arab’s Arabic language sister publication, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, adding that Israel has occupied the corridor for three months.

Marzouk said the latest ceasefire deal being discussed deviates significantly from what was proposed by the US in May, which the Hamas had submitted their amendments to on 2 July.

According to the leader, an Israeli delegation is scheduled to arrive in Cairo to hold discussions with Egyptian officials on the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing.

On Friday, another round of negotiations between mediators and Israel took place in Qatar’s capital, Doha, with no result being reached.

Hamas announced on Sunday that Netanyahu was setting new conditions to the proposal in recent talks which is preventing an agreement from being reached.

The group said Netanyahu’s terms reject a complete ceasefire and a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, as well as the continued occupation of the Netzarim Junction, Rafah Crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor.

"After we listened to the mediators about what happened in the last round of talks in Doha, we were once again assured that Netanyahu is still putting obstacles in the way of reaching an agreement, and is setting new conditions and demands, with the aim of thwarting the mediators’ efforts and prolonging the war," the group said in a statement.

They also reiterated that they are committed to the proposal put forward in early July, calling on mediators to adhere to what was presented and pressure Israel to implement the terms that were discussed.

Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel was conducting "very complex" negotiations with Hamas to release captives held in Gaza, adding that he has made clear "Israel is prepared to confront any threat, whether in defence or attack."

On Saturday, Gazi Hamad, a senior member of Hamas’ political bureau in Gaza said Netanyahu was "undermining the agreement from the ground up."

"The Israeli occupation introduced new conditions related to the Philadelphi Axis, despite prior agreement on a complete Israeli withdrawal from it," he said.

Despite American officials and US President Joe Biden saying that major strides have been made in ceasefire talks last week, multiple Hamas officials have denied that discussions are progressing.

The Philadelphi Corridor was declared a buffer zone as part of Egypt’s controversial 1979 peace treaty with Israel, with the Israelis arguing that it was necessary to stop weapons and other materials from reaching Palestinians inside Gaza and stop Palestinians from getting out.

In 2005, Israel withdrew its military forces from Gaza, meaning that Egypt became the sole party responsible for policing Philadelphi. An agreement struck with Israel allowed Egypt to maintain 750 troops and heavy weapons to patrol the area, with responsibility for Gaza coming under the remit of the Palestinian Authority (PA).

However, in 2007, after winning elections and fighting a bitter conflict with President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement, Hamas took full control of Gaza, and the situation changed.

Israel imposed a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave, with the most basic items often being banned. This meant the corridor became Gaza’s last remaining link with the outside world, with Israel maintaining a land, air and sea blockade on the strip from all sides.

Under the Camp David Accords, the Philadelphi Corridor was declared a demilitarised zone, with Israel’s military moving into the zone violating the treaty and irreversibly shifting dynamics in the region.