PRESS RELEASE: For Ceasefire Deal to be Effective, Strong U.S. Diplomacy Needed To Secure Egyptian Cooperation on Philadelphi Corridor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 23, 2024
Washington, DC – Any forthcoming ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas must set the stage for a long-term solution to secure the Philadelphi Corridor—the zone along the Gaza-Egypt border—argues a new report released today by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America and co-authored by Israel Defense Forces Brigadier General (BG) Effie Defrin, currently a visiting fellow at JINSA.
The report, Holding the Line: A Strategy for Securing the Philadelphi Corridor, analyzes the pivotal diplomatic role the United States will need to play in ensuring Egypt agrees to secure its border with the Gaza Strip. It also reveals never publicly revealed details about Egypt’s security establishment and proposes key principles for U.S. negotiators and policymakers to craft a solution that secures Egyptians, Israelis, and Palestinians alike and averts the prospect of Hamas’s resurgence.
“For years, Egypt has had difficulty navigating internal tensions and interests in its approach to Hamas’s rule in Gaza: working with Israel benefits its internal security and stability, but it’s not communicated because any mention of cooperation or normalization is strongly opposed in public opinion,” said BG Defrin. “Intentional or not, this contradictory policy has facilitated Hamas’s military buildup via smuggling, both above and below ground, crossing through the Philadelphi Corridor.”
The report argues that any agreement must, at a minimum, include new physical barriers both above and below ground along the corridor, an array of sensors, cameras, radars and other advanced technology spanning the border, and a robust inspection regime at the border’s checkpoint overseen by a third party. Crucially, all measures must be backstopped by direct U.S. involvement, utilizing any and all policy levers, including U.S. foreign aid, to ensure Egyptian compliance.
“General Defrin has spent years working with regional partners and has personally witnessed Egypt’s internal discord between its various agencies, both military and general intelligence (GIS), regarding the Hamas issue,” said Blaise Misztal, JINSA Vice President for Policy. “This is why strong U.S. diplomacy is so important for securing Egypt’s full compliance in any agreement regarding the security of the Philadelphi Corridor.”
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