Reporter Mark Weiss spoke with Ruth Wasserman Lande about the question over the security  arrangements for the Philadelphi corridor , the 14-kilometer route along the Egypt-Gaza border, has increased tension between Israel and Egypt. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a strongly-worded response to PM Netanyahu’s accusation implying  Egypt had helped smuggle weapons across the Philadelphi Corridor.

Cairo  is demanding the IDF’s immediate withdrawal from the Rafah terminal and from the Philadelphi Corridor.

September 8, 2024. 

https://youtu.be/aAVYpqnH7qw

Prof. Kobi Michael: While Hamas was rebuilding its forces to some extent, it was “certainly” not replacing what it had lost. It still cannot function in an organized military formation. It is making efforts to recruit youths to fill the ranks, but it does not have the ability to train them, so this is a limited achievement. They are mainly turning into cannon fodder.

However there is no doubt that it will continue to make an effort to recover [in northern Gaza], including militarily, and its achievements will be more significant if Israel is not there in the form of a fixed military presence, a military administration. A general siege on the area until the remainder of Hamas’s remaining organized forces is destroyed is also needed.

Published in JNS, September 5, 2024.

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Meir Ben Shabbat: There are those who believe that we can temporarily relinquish control—for 42 days—until the first phase of the deal is completed, and then, if the deal does not progress, return and regain control of the area.

Of course, the IDF has the ability, operationally, [to] reoccupy this corridor even after 42 days, but it’s not just a matter of military capability. Everyone understands that once we leave, Israel will face immense diplomatic pressure from the U.S. and other countries not to return.

Published in JNS, September 5, 2024.

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Col. (res.) Dr. Hanan Shai in Media Line: Israel has historically benefited from past embargoes by shifting to local manufacturing and developing systems tailored precisely to its needs. This process, even when interrupted, has expanded Israel’s knowledge base and led to the development of additional systems that enhance its overall capabilities.
This was the case with the Israeli-manufactured Lavi fighter jet, developed after France’s post-1967 embargo, which blocked the delivery of Mirage 5 fighter-bombers to the Israeli Air Force. Concerns over future disruptions in weapons and military systems led to the project, which was later canceled due to high costs, though the expertise gained was invaluable.

Israel has gained from weapons embargos in the past. On the basis of the Lavi, Israel produced many systems that are used until today.

Published in The Media Line, September 4, 2024.

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Col. (res.) Dr. Hanan Shai: It marks a policy change from the previous government and says a lot about the relations of the new government with the current government of Israel. This decision to partially suspend arms exports to Israel is followed by the decision to resume the funding of UNRWA and to drop the predecessor’s query of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) jurisdiction to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The implementation will be more diplomatic and less about Israel’s security.

Published in Breaking defense, September 3, 2024.

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Prof. Zaki Shalom: Netanyahu will never accept to give up the corridor completely. There could be minor changes, mainly in the number of troops and their deployment, but there will still be an Israeli military presence. If Israel withdraws from Gaza, it won’t be able to enter back afterward.

America is not able to exert significant pressure on Israel right now. Biden’s biased approach in the past months has damaged America’s reliability in the region and has shown his moderate response to American citizens’ deaths. So, if the States try to push for a change of the agreement, this will lead to the final loss of its credibility as an ally all over the world, plus democrats will lose Jewish voters at the elections, which may favor Trump.

Published in The Media Line, September 04, 2024.

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Prof. Kobi Michael: We cannot allow ourselves to return to the reality that we met on Oct. 7. I believe any continued military presence in the Philadelphi corridor had to come with a clear timeline for troops to eventually withdraw.

Published in NBC NEWS, September 3, 2024.

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Ruth Wasserman Lande: If you pressure Israel, you’re telling Hamas that its strategy is working. 

Published on Israeli Citizen Spokespersons’ Office, September 3, 2024.

https://youtu.be/nrorjo9hJrE

Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser: if Israel were to withdraw, there would be a resurgence of arms smuggling from Egypt into Gaza.The reality of so many tunnels under the corridor makes it clear that what will happen is a renewal of the smuggling of arms from Egypt to Gaza. Why does Hamas so insist on this corridor, if nothing is supposed to happen?

Prof. Kobi Michael: The Rafah Crossing has served as the main platform for smuggling weapons into Gaza, all with Egypt turning a blind eye. Abandoning the corridor and crossing before establishing monitoring and control mechanisms transparent to Israel means losing control over the corridor and crossing in the future.

Published algemeiner , September 1, 2024.

Prof. Kobi Michael: Iran and the Hamas leadership abroad are very concerned with the loss of Hamas’s fighting capacities in Gaza, hence they put great efforts into stirring up unrest and bolstering terrorist networks in the West Bank.

The interview took place on the I24 channel on August 31, 2024.