By Romana Rubeo 
Israeli occupation forces are currently engaged in an attempt to control the so-called Philadelphi route, a narrow corridor between the besieged Gaza Strip and Egypt.
According to military analysts, Israel has been trying to control the area to create a buffer zone and completely isolate the Strip from the rest of the world.
On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated clearly his government’s objectives in southern Gaza when he said that the Philadelphi Route “has to be in our hands.”
But all Israeli attempts have, thus far, failed due to the fierce resistance by Palestinian groups.
What is the Philadelphi Route?
The Philadelphi Route, or Philadelphi Corridor – often referred to as Philadelphia, is a narrow strip of land, long 14 kilometers, located along the border between southern Gaza and Egypt.
In the past, the corridor was under the control of Israeli forces, which patrolled it under the provisions of the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty of 1979.
Israel was allowed to control the corridor even after the Oslo Accords of 1993.
Only in 2005, when Israeli troops redeployed from the Gaza Strip, Egypt and Israel concluded the Philadelphi Accord.
Then, Egypt was committed to deploy 750 border guards along the route to patrol the border on the Egyptian side, while the Palestinian side remained under the control of the Palestinians.
Why Does Israel Want to Control it?
Israel aims at completely isolating the already besieged Gaza Strip from the rest of the world.
The Rafah crossing, which is located along the border with Egypt, is the only crossing that is not directly controlled by Israel.
Gazans are not allowed to use other crossings to enter or exit the besieged Strip.
The Palestinian Resistance groups are perfectly aware of the strategic importance of the Philadelphi Route.
Military analyst Maj. Gen. Fayez Al-Duwairi explained to Al-Jazeera that the Resistance “will not accept this because it would mean complete isolation from the rest of the world”.
Al-Duwairi also pointed out that the Egyptian position is crucial on this issue.
According to the military expert, this represents “the last card” Israel can play in order to achieve some kind of a military objective in its ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
– Romana Rubeo is an Italian writer and the managing editor of The Palestine Chronicle. Her articles appeared in many online newspapers and academic journals. She holds a Master’s Degree in Foreign Languages and Literature and specializes in audio-visual and journalism translation.
The section of ‘What is the Philadelphi Route? ‘, long 14 kilometers s/b 14 kilometers long. I have watched Arab historians on youtube. I have learned that Britain & France were the perpetrators for the installation of a Jewish state in Palestine, which was initiated by Theodor Merzl, in 1896, an Astro-Hungarian journalist, who wrote a book called ‘The Jewish State’. In 1897, Merzl, Nordau, & Birenbaum convened the first Zionist congress in Basel, Switzerland. They established a program to establish a homeland to the Jewish people in Palestine. The British did the rest, starting in 1907. Blame all of this fiasco to Britain.