Israel presence in Philadelphi Corridor part of Netanyahu's wider plan

#Palestine

#Gaza

#United Nations

While US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reiterated his claim that a Gaza deal is within reach despite some remaining critical issues, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has "made it perfectly clear that he will never withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor", Qatar University's international relations professor Hassan Barari has told Al Jazeera.

Netanyahu's keenness to maintain control of the southern edge of the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt, which he has previously described as "the gateway to Iran", is part of a "bigger game than what Blinken is thinking of", Barari said.