As the initial stage of the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas draws to a close this weekend, the future of the truce remains unclear. The developments in a critical stretch of land along the Egypt-Gaza border in the upcoming week may serve as an indicator of what lies ahead.

Israel is expected to start withdrawing its troops on Sunday from the border zone, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, and complete its withdrawal by the following weekend. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assertion that Israeli control of the area is a fundamental national security interest introduces uncertainty regarding this move.

Key points to observe in the coming days include:

The Philadelphi Corridor, an eight-mile strip that separates Gaza from Egypt, was a major point of contention during cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. This border, which divides the city of Rafah, was established as part of the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty.

After Hamas assumed full control of Gaza in 2007, the organization and its fighters managed the enclave’s border with Egypt and oversaw the Rafah crossing, which is the only exit from Gaza to the outside world not directly controlled by Israel.

Israeli officials have contended that Hamas covertly imported weapons and materials for its fighters from across the Egyptian border. In September, Netanyahu referred to the Philadelphi Corridor as “Hamas’s oxygen valve.” At the beginning of May, Israeli forces pushed into the corridor during their military operation in Rafah. For months thereafter, Netanyahu insisted that remaining in the area was necessary to safeguard Israeli security and prevent Hamas from rearming. Nonetheless, he also pledged to withdraw from the border region as part of the cease-fire agreement.

Currently, Israeli negotiators are in Cairo to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators to discuss the next stages of the truce, while Hamas officials had their own discussions in the Egyptian capital last week.

Based on the three-part cease-fire arrangement between Israel and Hamas, Israeli forces are slated to begin leaving the Philadelphi Corridor six weeks into the truce, which will conclude the first phase of the agreement on Saturday night. The final hostage-for-prisoner exchanges in the first phase of the agreement occurred on Thursday. The two sides have yet to negotiate the subsequent steps, which will include a permanent end to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israel’s military from the territory. Israel is due to vacate the corridor by the end of next week, according to the cease-fire terms. If this occurs, Hamas, which has been reestablishing its power in Gaza since the truce started in mid-January, could fill the gap.

Israel has committed to leave the border area by the 50th day of the truce, which is in early March. Not honoring this commitment would be seen as a significant violation and would add to the already precarious nature of the truce. Yet, if the withdrawal occurs as planned, it may encourage mediators to pursue the next phases of the cease-fire more actively.

Both Israel and Hamas have reasons to steer clear of further conflict at present. Hamas aims to allow its forces to recover, and Israel wants to secure the release of the remaining hostages. However, the chances of a comprehensive agreement between Israel and Hamas still seem distant. Israel demands an end to Hamas’s control in Gaza and the demilitarization of the enclave, both of which Hamas has largely refused. Despite 15 months of intense fighting that caused extensive damage to the territory and claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives, Israel’s leaders were unable to eliminate Hamas in Gaza following its deadly October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/world/middleeast/gaza-truce-philadelphi-corridor.html