Israel will maintain presence in strategic corridor on Gaza's border with Egypt, says Netanyahu

Israel will maintain a presence in the strategic corridor on Gaza’s border with Egypt, said Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu, adding “if Israel agrees to withdraw, even temporarily, the international community will never allow it to return.”

“It determines our entire future. This is the oxygen of Hamas,” he said in a news conference.

Netanyahu is under heavy pressure to reach a deal after Hamas terrorists killed six hostages, shortly before Israeli troops reached the tunnel where they were being held. He said that Hamas militants “executed” six hostages whose bodies were recovered from Gaza, shooting them “in the back of the head”.

“These murderers executed six of our hostages, they shot them in the back of the head,” he said during a press conference, rejecting the notion that Israel should respond with “concessions” in Gaza ceasefire talks.

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The killing of the six hostages, announced by Israeli officials on Sunday, has spurred an outpouring of grief in Israel as well as anger at the government for not sealing a deal that would have secured the hostages’ release.

Meanwhile, Israelis had poured into the streets late Sunday in grief and anger in what appeared to be the largest protest since the start of the war. The families and much of the public blamed Netanyahu, saying the hostages could have been returned alive in a deal with Hamas. A rare general strike was held across the country on Monday.

But others support Netanyahu’s drive to continue the campaign in Gaza, which was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into Israel and has caused massive death and destruction in the territory. Netanyahu says the assault will force militants to give in to Israeli demands, potentially facilitate rescue operations and ultimately annihilate the group.

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Key ally the United States is showing impatience. Biden spoke to reporters as he arrived at the White House for a Situation Room meeting with the U.S. mediation team in the negotiations. Asked if Netanyahu was doing enough, Biden responded, “No.”

He insisted that negotiators remain “very close” to a deal, adding, “Hope springs eternal.”

Hamas has accused Israel of dragging out months of negotiations by issuing new demands, including for lasting Israeli control over the Philadelphi corridor and a second corridor running across Gaza.

Hamas has offered to release all hostages in return for an end to the war, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants — broadly the terms called for under an outline for deal put forward by Biden in July.

With inputs from agencies.