Israeli forces withdraw from strategic Gaza corridor as part of ceasefire deal with Hamas

Israeli forces on Sunday withdrew from the Netrazim corridor, a controversial strip of land that separates northern and southern Gaza, as part of a ceasefire deal with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

An official not authorised to discuss troop movement with the media confirmed the development with the Associated Press. But, it was not immediately clear how many personnel were being withdrawn.

A Hamas official said later that Israeli troops completed their withdrawal from the strategic road. “Israeli forces have dismantled their positions and military posts and completely withdrawn their tanks from the Netzarim Corridor on Salaheddin Road, allowing vehicles to pass freely in both directions,” an official from the Hamas-run interior ministry said.

The move, which follows a series of hostage and prisoner exchanges between the two sides, is another indication that the ceasefire deal is moving ahead. Israel and Hamas completed their fifth hostage-prisoner swap on Saturday.

Israel had agreed to remove its troops from the Netrazim corridor during ceasefire negotiations. The terms also mandate that Israel allow Palestinians to cross the corridor without inspections. Post its implementation, Israel allowed displaced Palestinians to return to their devastated homes in northern Gaza through the corridor.

The ‘strategic’ Netrazim corridor

It was named after a former Israeli settlement that was destroyed during Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. The corridor was a strategic military zone built by Israel after the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023. The land, which stretches roughly 6 km from the Israel-Gaza border to the Mediterranean Sea, effectively divided the enclave into two regions.

Israel used the corridor to conduct military operations and maintain a watch over the movement of Hamas militants within the Gaza Strip. The corridor became controversial as Israel was accused of controlling the movement of Palestinians between northern and southern Gaza.

Ceasefire deal

The 42-day ceasefire is just past its halfway point, and the sides are supposed to negotiate an extension that would lead to more Israeli hostages being freed from Hamas captivity.

Hamas informed that negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire had begun. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a delegation of low-level officials to Qatar, a key mediator in talks between the sides, sparking speculation that it would not lead to a breakthrough in extending the truce.

In the second phase, all remaining hostages would be released in return for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, leading to a “sustainable calm”.