Hamas reaffirmed that it insisted on adopting the latest proposal it submitted to hostage deal mediators and doubled down on its demand for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen reported on Saturday, citing an undisclosed source.
According to the source, Hamas has demanded that Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip would include the Netzarim Corridor and the Philadelphi Corridor.
This week, the Israeli news organization Maariv reported that Israel had informed Cairo that it agreed to conditions related to the Philadelphi Corridor but did not specify those conditions.
Previously, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a visit to the area that it was essential that Israel maintain control of the corridor.
Philadelphi Corridor ‘essential’ for Israel
Netanyahu said at the time, “The understanding that our possession of the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing is essential only grew stronger [during my visit].”
At the beginning of the month, Israeli state broadcaster, KAN, reported that Israel intended to construct a “buffer zone” in the area that would allow the IDF to enter and exit the area after the Rafah operation concluded.
Hamas would also not accept any new hostage deal that did not include a clear text on achieving a ceasefire, the source reportedly added.
However, while Hamas has expressed this demand for a deal to include a firm end to the war before, also earlier this month, the terror group dropped the demand that it receive an upfront promise that Israel would end the war.
The Associated Press later reported, citing officials in the Middle East and the US, that Israel’s military pressure on the Islamist terror group likely contributed to it’s earlier willingness to soften its demands.
Additionally, Al-Mayadeen’s source said that Hamas is not opposed to temporarily assuming governmental administration for Gaza with a national consensus should an agreement fail to be reached regarding the governance of Gaza and the West Bank.
Yonah Jeremy Bob and Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.
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