Israeli official says the army won't withdraw from a Gaza corridor in
potential jolt to truce
 [February 27, 2025]
By MOHAMMAD JAHJOUH, WAFAA SHURAFA and NATALIE MELZER
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel will not withdraw from a strategic
corridor in the Gaza Strip as called for by the ceasefire, an official
said Thursday. Israel’s refusal could spark a crisis with Hamas and key
mediator Egypt at a sensitive moment for the fragile truce.
Hours earlier, Hamas released the remains of four hostages in exchange
for over 600 Palestinian prisoners, the last planned swap of the
ceasefire’s first phase, which ends this weekend. Talks over the second
and more difficult stage have yet to begin.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with
regulations, said Israeli forces needed to remain in the so-called
Philadelphi corridor, on the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, to
prevent weapons smuggling.
Separately, Defense Minister Israel Katz said at a meeting with local
leaders that he had seen tunnels penetrating the border on a recent
visit to the corridor, without providing evidence or elaborating on
Israel's plans. Egypt says it destroyed the smuggling tunnels from its
side years ago and set up a military buffer zone to halt smuggling.
Israel was supposed to begin withdrawing from the Philadelphi corridor
on Saturday, the last day of the first phase, and complete it within
eight days.
Much could hinge on a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump's Mideast
envoy, Steve Witkoff, who is expected in the region in the coming days.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas or Egypt. But in a statement
earlier on Thursday, the militant group said the only way for Israel to
secure the release of dozens of hostages still held in Gaza was through
negotiations and adhering to the ceasefire agreement.
Remains of 4 hostages are identified
The remains released Thursday were confirmed to be those of Ohad
Yahalomi, Itzhak Elgarat, Shlomo Mantzur and Tsachi Idan, according to
the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents families of
the captives.
Mantzur, 85, was killed in Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered
the war, and his body was taken into the territory. Israel said the
other three were killed in captivity, without elaborating.
“Our hearts ache upon receiving the bitter news,” Israeli President
Isaac Herzog said. “In this painful moment, there is some solace in
knowing that they will be laid to rest in dignity in Israel.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said he shared the “immense pain” of
the family and loved ones of Yahalomi, who had French citizenship.
Hamas confirmed that over 600 prisoners had been released overnight.
Most were detainees returned to Gaza, where they had been rounded up
after the Oct. 7 attack and held without charge on security suspicions.
A joyful return for released prisoners
Some of the released prisoners fell to their knees in gratitude after
disembarking from buses in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. In the
West Bank town of Beitunia, dozens of prisoners were welcomed by crowds
of relatives and well-wishers.
The released prisoners wore shirts issued by the Israeli prison service
bearing a message in Arabic about pursuing one's enemies. Some of the
prisoners threw the shirts on the ground or set them on fire.
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Palestinian prisoners are greeted after being released from Israeli
prison following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, in
the West Bank city of Ramallah, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP
Photo/Nasser Nasser)
Israel delayed the release of the prisoners on Saturday over Hamas'
practice of parading hostages before crowds and cameras during their
release. Israel, along with the Red Cross and U.N. officials, have
called the ceremonies humiliating for the hostages.
Hamas released the four bodies to the Red Cross in Gaza overnight
without a public ceremony.
The prisoners released Thursday included 445 men, 21 teenagers and
one woman, according to lists shared by Palestinian officials that
did not specify their ages. Only around 50 Palestinians were
released into the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem in this
round, while dozens sentenced to life over deadly attacks against
Israelis were exiled.
The truce is in peril
The latest handover was the final one planned under the ceasefire’s
first six-week phase, which expires this weekend. Hamas has returned
33 hostages, including eight bodies, in exchange for nearly 2,000
Palestinian prisoners.
Trump's envoy, Witkoff, has said he wants the sides to move into
negotiations on the second phase. Those talks were supposed to begin
the first week of February.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to return all
the hostages and destroy the military and governing capabilities of
Hamas, which remains in control of Gaza. The Trump administration
has endorsed both goals.
But it's unclear how Israel would destroy Hamas without resuming the
war, and Hamas is unlikely to release the remaining hostages — its
main bargaining chips — without a lasting ceasefire.
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, ended
15 months of war that erupted after Hamas’ 2023 attack on southern
Israel that killed about 1,200 people. About 250 people were taken
hostage.
If the identities of the four bodies are confirmed, then 59 captives
will remain in Gaza, 32 of whom are believed to be dead. Nearly 150
have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals, while
dozens of bodies have been recovered by Israeli forces and eight
captives have been rescued alive.
Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 48,000
Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, who don't
differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths but say over
half the dead have been women and children.
The fighting displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza’s population and
decimated the territory’s infrastructure and health system.
___
Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip and Melzer from
Nahariya, Israel. Associated Press writer Josef Federman in
Jerusalem contributed.
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