RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has condemned Israeli statements about the Gaza-Egyptian border and said the Kingdom stood with Cairo on the issue.
A Saudi foreign ministry statement issued late on Tuesday denounced Israeli ambitions on the Philadelphi corridor, in southern Gaza bordering Egypt, as well as “the absurd attempts to justify the continuous Israeli violations of international laws and norms.”
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he wants to keep troops in the corridor for the foreseeable future.
“The Philadelphi Corridor — or to put it more correctly, the southern closing point (of Gaza) — must be in our hands. It must be shut. Any other arrangement would not ensure the demilitarization that we seek,” he said.
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Egypt said it will not accept any Israeli presence along the corridor.
The control of the zone has been a major sticking point in negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage deal in a war that is now entering its eleventh month.
“The Kingdom warns of these provocative statements and their consequences in undermining the mediation efforts,” the statement said.
Netanyahu’s insistence on a troop presence in the corridor has irked some allies who feel the issue should not be used as a reason to prevent a deal in the conflict.
Asked by reporters if the Israeli premier was doing enough to secure the hostage deal, US President Joe Biden said simply: No.
Benny Gantz, a former army general who served in Netanyahu’s war cabinet until he quit in June, criticized the prime minister’s stance on Philadelphi and pushed for an agreement to release hostages.
“The story is not Philadelphi but the lack of making truly strategic decisions,” said Gantz.
