Tuesday, September 3, 2024

What are Gaza's Philadelphi, Netzarim corridors and why are they so important? - explainer

The hostage deal talks between Israel and Hamas have widely been reported as being stuck on a couple of key issues, specifically the statuses of the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridor.

These are two of several highly valued strategic locations along the Gaza border, and they have been a facet of Israeli security decisions for years.

The former is a 14-kilometer-long narrow stretch of land that essentially separates the Gaza Strip from Egypt's Sinai Desert. The latter is inside Gaza proper and separates Gaza City from Central Gaza.


Here is everything you need to know about the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors and why they are so important.

What is the history of the Philadelphi Corridor?

The Philadelphi Corridor is an Israeli term – albeit one reportedly chosen by the IDF at random – for a strip of land that separates Gaza from Egypt, and was specifically defined as such in the 2004 draft plan for the Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip. READ MORE