• Israel will not withdraw its forces from the Gaza-Egypt border, which would be a requirement under the reported terms of the second phase of a ceasefire with Hamas. An Israeli source told CNN, “We will not exit the Philadelphi Corridor,” which is a roughly 9-mile strip along the border.
• The Israel source also said, “We will not allow Hamas murderers to once again roam our borders with pickup trucks and guns, and we will not allow them to rebuild strength for smuggling.”
• The refusal comes just days before the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement is set to expire on Saturday, and hours after Hamas released the last set of hostages scheduled for release under Phase 1.

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Israel will not withdraw its forces from the Gaza-Egypt border, which would be a requirement under the reported terms of the second phase of a ceasefire with Hamas.

An Israeli source told CNN on Thursday, Feb. 27, “We will not exit the Philadelphi Corridor,” which is a roughly 9-mile strip along the border. The source added, “We will not allow Hamas murderers to once again roam our borders with pickup trucks and guns, and we will not allow them to rebuild strength from smuggling.”

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Why is the refusal a major development?

The refusal comes just days before the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement is set to expire on Saturday, March 1, and hours after Hamas released the last set of hostages scheduled for release under Phase 1.

Negotiations to extend the more than 40-day ceasefire were expected to start more than three weeks ago, but it’s unclear if talks are underway.

What happened under Phase 1?

Under the first phase, 38 hostages were released by Hamas, and thousands of Palestinian prisoners were set free by Israel.

Israeli forces have controlled the Philadelphi Corridor since May, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it is vital for national security.

What does Phase 2 entail?

The second phase of a ceasefire would reportedly include Israel withdrawing all of its troops from Gaza and Hamas releasing all of the hostages still alive in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners.

After returning the bodies of four hostages, Hamas claimed it is committed to entering into talks on the second phase.

What is Hamas saying?

A source from the terrorist group told CNN, any “attempts by Netanyahu and his government to backtrack… will only lead to more suffering for prisoners and their families.”

Netanyahu reportedly prefers to extend the first phase in order to secure the release of more hostages.

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How is the Trump administration responding?

President Donald Trump’s top envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, however, said that Israeli representatives are on their way to negotiate a second phase of the ceasefire.

Witkoff’s remarks are yet to be confirmed by Netanyahu or his government.