**Netanyahu: Achieving War Goals Requires Our Presence in the Philadelphi Corridor**
**The Israeli Prime Minister asserted that Hamas will “pay a very heavy price” after retrieving the bodies of 6 hostages from a Gaza tunnel**
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Monday that Israeli forces must retain control over the Philadelphi Corridor (Salah al-Din Corridor) on the Gaza-Egypt border and vowed “not to succumb to pressure” on this matter during ceasefire negotiations.
In a televised press conference following the Israeli authorities’ announcement of the recovery of six hostages’ bodies in Gaza, Netanyahu declared that “achieving the war’s objectives passes through the Philadelphi Corridor.” He added, “Control of the Philadelphi Corridor ensures that the hostages are not smuggled out of Gaza.”
Hamas is demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territory in negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt.
The killing of the six hostages has sparked a wave of grief in Israel, along with anger towards the government for failing to secure an agreement that would have ensured the release of the hostages.
Netanyahu emphasized, “I will not bow to pressure,” referring to the strategic Philadelphi Corridor.
He said, “In our fight against the axis of evil in this particular war, the war with Hamas, we have set four goals for ourselves: destroying Hamas, bringing back all the abductees, ensuring that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel, and safely returning the northern residents to their homes. Three of these goals pass through one place – the Philadelphi Corridor. It is the source of oxygen and weapons for Hamas… For this reason, the Israelis are ‘obligated to control’ that area.”
While thousands of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv on Monday evening for the second day of anti-government demonstrations, the Prime Minister asked for “forgiveness” for his inability to save the six hostages, but stressed that leaving the corridor would not have led to a different outcome. He said, “I ask for your forgiveness for not bringing them back alive. We were close but did not succeed. Hamas will pay a very heavy price.”
Netanyahu continued, “The killing of the six abductees did not happen because of the decision regarding Philadelphi, but because of Hamas itself.”
Out of the 251 people who were taken hostage during Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 97 remain in Gaza, including 33 whom the Israeli army says are dead.
On Monday, the Israeli Prime Minister stated, “We will make Hamas pay a very heavy price in the near future.”
He added, “No one is more committed than I am to the release of the abductees. And no one can give me lessons on this matter.”
By/radwa sherif ✏️✏️📚