Majority of Israelis support leaving Philadelphi Corridor to secure deal with Palestinians

A slim majority of Israelis would support leaving the Philadelphi Corridor if it means reaching a deal with Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza, according to a new poll.

53 percent of Israelis would support a pullout if it comes with a captive agreement, Israeli public broadcaster Kan found in a new poll.

The presence of Israeli forces in the narrow strip of land that runs along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt has become a major sticking point in negotiations for a ceasefire in the besieged enclave and an exchange of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli captives.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly refused to leave the area, even though Hamas stressed a previous version of a ceasefire deal, which included the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the corridor, was already agreed to by Israeli officials.

For months, Egypt, Qatar and the US have mediated indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, but these efforts have yet to yield results, largely due to Israel’s refusal to meet Hamas’s demands for an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from the besieged enclave, and the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza.

More than 40,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7 last year and nearly 94,400 others injured, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of the enclave has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel also faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.