5 Facts about the Philadelphi Corridor in Gaza, a Strip Now Controlled by Israel

RAFAH – The Philadelphi Corridor is one of the routes in Gaza that Israel really wants when it is involved in a conflict with Hamas since the end of 2023. This makes this corridor the most watched when the Zionists plan an attack on the Rafah area.

Quoted from Al Jazeera, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Philadelphi Corridor must be theirs and will later be closed to ensure the security that Tel Aviv desires.

Netanyahu claims that without controlling this narrow strip of land, the Israeli army will not be able to defeat Hamas in Gaza. So what exactly is the Philadelphi Corridor? Below is a summary of the facts.

Facts about the Philadelphi Corridor in Gaza

1. Formed from Egypt’s Peace Treaty with Israel

The Philadelphi Corridor is a 14 km (8.7 mi) long strip that represents the entire border area between Gaza and Egypt. This corridor is a form of the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt in the late 1970s.

The Philadelphi Corridor was built in 1979 as a “demilitarized buffer zone” between the two countries. This agreement authorized Egypt to deploy 750 border guards along the route to patrol the border on the Egyptian side.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian side of the border was controlled by the Palestinian Authority, until it was taken over by Hamas in 2007.

2. Purpose of Formation

The aim of establishing the Philadelphi Corridor is to stop weapons and materials from getting into the hands of Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip, and to prevent people from moving between Palestinian lands and Egypt without strict checks.

3. Egypt is in control of the Philadelphi Corridor

After Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, Egypt became the main player controlling the corridor. However, things changed after Hamas took full control of the Gaza Strip in 2007.

For years, Egypt has said it continues to destroy tunnels dug by Palestinians to smuggle weapons and people, but Israel has questioned the effectiveness of Cairo’s actions.