Thu Feb 27 19:55:40 UTC 2025: **Israel Refuses to Withdraw from Gaza Corridor, Threatening Fragile Truce**
**Jerusalem, February 27, 2025** – Israel has refused to withdraw its forces from the Philadelphi corridor in the Gaza Strip, jeopardizing the fragile ceasefire agreement reached after 15 months of conflict. The decision, announced Thursday, directly contradicts the terms of the truce’s first phase, which ends this weekend. An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, justified the refusal by citing the need to prevent weapons smuggling.
This defiance comes just hours after Hamas released the remains of four Israeli hostages – Ohad Yahalomi, Itzhak Elgarat, Shlomo Mantzur, and Tsachi Idan – in exchange for over 600 Palestinian prisoners. This was the final prisoner exchange planned under the ceasefire’s first phase. While the exchange was hailed as a step forward, Israel’s refusal to withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor threatens to derail the already delicate negotiations for a second phase.
Hamas condemned Israel’s action, warning that it could lead to further suffering for the remaining hostages. The group confirmed the release of over 600 prisoners, many of whom had been held without charge since the October 2023 Hamas attack that triggered the war. The released prisoners included those who had served life sentences for attacks against Israelis. Some publicly rejected their Israeli-issued prison shirts.
The initial ceasefire, brokered by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar, ended a war that resulted in the deaths of over 48,000 Palestinians and around 1,200 Israelis, as well as the displacement of approximately 90% of Gaza’s population. While 33 hostages have been returned, including eight bodies, 59 remain in Gaza, with negotiations over their release remaining stalled. The future of the peace process hangs precariously in the balance, with the possibility of renewed conflict looming large. International pressure is mounting to resolve this impasse and prevent a renewed escalation.
First Piper 