Egypt reaffirms demand for Israel’s withdrawal from Philadelphi Corridor, Rafah crossing

CAIRO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) — Egypt has reiterated its rejection of Israeli presence at the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing, Egypt’s Al-Qahera News TV channel reported on Monday, citing a senior Egyptian official.
“The continuation of the current war in Gaza and the possibility of its regional expansion is extremely dangerous and portends dire consequences,” said the anonymous source, adding that the Israeli government is responsible for not reaching a truce agreement in Gaza, as it is seeking to impose a new reality on the ground.
The Israeli army took control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a 100-meter wide and 14-km-long buffer zone along the Egypt-Gaza border, and the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing in May, which halted the entry of humanitarian aid trucks from Egypt into Gaza.
Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, is leading mediation efforts to reach a truce and a hostage-prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas, with the goal of achieving a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
During several rounds of ceasefire talks, Egypt has repeatedly emphasized its demand that the Israeli army must completely withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing.
However, Israel’s security cabinet voted last week in favor of maintaining Israeli troops along the Gaza-Egypt border as part of any potential ceasefire. ■