Israeli forces withdraw from key Gaza corridor

Associated Press

Mughraqa (Gaza Strip): Israeli forces withdrew from a key corridor in Gaza on Sunday, Israeli officials and Hamas said, the latest commitment under a tenuous ceasefire that faces a major test over whether the sides can negotiate its planned extension. Israelis' shock at the sight of three emaciated hostages released Saturday has added pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend the truce instead of returning to fighting when the ceasefire's first phase ends in early March. Israel and Hamas appear to have made little progress on negotiating the deal's second phase, which is also meant to see more hostages released. Talks had been due to start on February 3.

Netanyahu was sending a delegation to Qatar, a key mediator, but it included low-level officials, sparking speculation that it won't lead to a breakthrough. Netanyahu, who returned to Israel on Sunday after a US visit to meet with President Donald Trump, is expected to convene key Cabinet ministers this week. The 4-mile (6-kilometre) Netzarim corridor separating northern and southern Gaza had been used by Israel as a military zone during the 16-month war, but no troops were seen in the vicinity Sunday.

As the ceasefire began last month, Israel began allowing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to cross Netzarim and return to the north. Separately on Sunday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said two women, one of them eight months pregnant, were killed by Israeli gunfire in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli troops have been carrying out an operation.

The ceasefire's extension is not guaranteed: The ceasefire that began on January 19 has held, raising hopes that the war that led to seismic shifts in the Middle East may be headed toward an end. But it remains fragile. On Sunday, civil defence first responders in Gaza said three people were killed by Israeli fire east of Gaza City. Israel's military noted “several hits” after warning shots were fired and again warned Palestinians from approaching its forces. Cars piled with belongings headed north through a road that crosses Netzarim. Under the deal, Israel should allow cars to cross uninspected. The Israeli officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss troop movement with the media, did not say how many soldiers withdrew or to where.

Troops remain along Gaza's borders with Israel and Egypt. Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif Al-Qanoua said the troops' withdrawal showed the militant group had “forced the enemy to submit to our demands" and that it thwarted “Netanyahu's illusion of achieving total victory.” Israel has said it won't agree to a complete withdrawal from Gaza until Hamas' military and political capabilities are eliminated. Hamas says it won't hand over the last hostages until Israel removes all troops from the territory. During the ceasefire's 42-day first phase, Hamas is gradually releasing 33 Israeli hostages captured during its October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and a flood of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The deal also says Israeli troops will pull back from populated areas. In the second phase, all remaining hostages would be released in return for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and “sustainable calm.” But details beyond that are unclear. Families of hostages gathered Sunday in Tel Aviv to again urge Netanyahu to extend the ceasefire. “We know that for a year, that they are dying there, so we need to finish this deal in a hurry,” said Ayala Metzger, the daughter-in-law of hostage Yoram Metzger, who died in captivity. But Netanyahu is also under pressure from far-right allies to resume the war so that Hamas, whose October 7 attack was the deadliest against Israelis in their history, can be defeated.

Complicating things further is Trump's proposal to relocate the population of Gaza and take ownership of the territory. Israel has expressed openness to the idea while Hamasand much of the world have rejected it. Egypt said it will host an emergency Arab summit on February 27 to discuss the “new and dangerous developments." Trump's proposal has moral, legal and practical obstacles.