ALBAWABA - Shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu restated his stance on Gaza, declaring that Israel will not withdraw from the Netzarim and Philadelphia Corridors.
Netanyahu emphasized that Israel is determined to keeping its presence in these areas despite strong opposition because they are vital to Israel's strategic, military, and political interests.
Speaking at a meeting with the relatives of the captives, Netanyahu stated that any arrangement must put Israeli interests first even if he was unsure if a solution would be reached.
Netanyahu said, "We will not withdraw from the Philadelphi and Netzarim Corridors, no matter the pressures," highlighting the territories' strategic value to Israel on a political and military level.
After his meeting with Blinken in Jerusalem, Netanyahu expressed his commitment to a solution that satisfies Israel's security requirements and characterized the talks as positive.
The relatives of the hostages responded to Netanyahu's remarks by expressing fear that his position would jeopardize any prospective agreement including the exchange of prisoners. They said that the hostages taken on October 7 and those being held were abandoned by the Israeli authorities.
The United States put out fresh proposals in recent Doha negotiations to help Israel and Hamas overcome their disagreements in order to achieve a truce and make a prisoner swap possible. According to Blinken, Netanyahu had accepted the revised plan and expressed optimism that Hamas would accept it.
