(UnHerd) Josef Joffe - The Philadelphi Corridor, a tiny sliver of land separating Egypt from Gaza, served as a key conduit for arms and cash flows to Hamas. Loath to re-occupy all of Gaza after its withdrawal in 2005, the IDF had regularly returned to "mow the grass," to cut down Hamas's war-making potential. Yet after each IDF incursion, Hamas rebounded with better gear and training. Cairo could not or would not stop the flow - as it won't if the IDF pulls out. While it is claimed that the IDF will have to withdraw from the corridor in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages, Hamas will not release all the hostages, for the simple reason that the value of each remaining Israeli hostage will rise. What is more likely is that they will dribble them out and keep the remainder as bargaining chips to maintain pressure, trading lives for concessions. This game will not end. The writer is former publisher-editor of Die Zeit.
2024-09-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive