Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that his country needs to keep troops in the Philadelphia Corridor, which is a stretch of land along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt.
Netanyahu spoke to members of the foreign media on Wednesday. He said Gaza can only be demilitarized, if the Philadelphia Corridor remains under Israel’s firm control.
He said that “there won’t be any pressure,” if Israeli troops leave the corridor.
The remarks come as representatives of Israel and Hamas continue to try to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages.
The two sides still remain far apart.
Hamas has been demanding a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Netanyahu maintains that Israel’s troops should remain in the Philadelphia Corridor.
Meanwhile, the United Nations announced that around 190,000 children in central Gaza have received polio vaccinations so far. The vaccination campaign is being carried out amid pauses in the fighting.
The UN will start administering inoculations in southern Gaza starting on Thursday. Israeli attacks continue in that area.
On Wednesday, NHK conducted an online interview with a Japanese official of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, which is carrying out the campaign.
Seita Akihiro said that, during the pauses in fighting, the agency wants to inoculate as many children as possible to prevent the spread of polio.
At the same time, he noted that he was able to hear the sounds of air raids and bombings, once the pauses were over.
Seita called for a permanent ceasefire. He said the fighting must end quickly, so that the health of the people in Gaza can be secured.