Tensions have been rising over the Philadelphi Corridor, the 14-kilometer demilitarized buffer zone along the Egypt-Gaza border.
On Wednesday, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that they did not agree to remove their forces from the Philadelphi Corridor, stating that the Israeli televised report that Netanyahu agreed to remove troops is false.
Having Israeli military troops at the Philadelphi Corridor defies the conditions of the Camp David Accords. According to Major General Samir Faraj, the strategy specialist, Netanyahu has forces at the Philadelphi Corridor as an excuse in order not to complete the ceasefire deal in Gaza, pointing out that the presence of a military force is contrary to the Camp David Accords with Egypt.
What Are The Camp David Accords?
To understand the disagreement between the two sides, we need to take a step back in time. From 1948 until 1973, Egypt and Israel had a violent past, fighting five wars in that short period. The fighting did come to an end in 1978 when a peace treaty, known as the Camp David Accords, was signed.
It took several days of tense negotiations between US President Jimmy Carter, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat back in 1978 at the presidential retreat in Maryland called Camp David to reach the unlikely but lasting peace agreement.
What About The Philadelphi Corridor?
The treaty pledged to end the state of war between the two sides and establish friendly relations. It also included Israel’s withdrawal from Sinai, which it occupied in 1967. Along with that, under the Camp David Accords, the Philadelphi Corridor is a demilitarized zone, and since 2005, Egypt has taken full control of it, so if Israel ends up moving into the zone, this would violate the treaty.
Treaty Under Threat Over The Years
Since the October 7 attacks and the start of the Gaza genocide, the treaty has been under threat many times. Back in February, Egypt threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if Israeli offensive in Gaza heads to Rafah. They also threatened to suspend the treaty if Israel forced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to flee to Sinai.