Israel completes phase one withdrawal, goes to Qatar for negotiations

(CLO) Israel has completed its withdrawal from the Netzarim corridor in the Gaza Strip under phase one of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, and sent a delegation to Qatar to negotiate phase two.

A Hamas official confirmed on February 9 that the Israeli army had dismantled military positions, withdrawn all tanks from the area and reopened the Salaheddin road to two-way traffic.

The Netzarim corridor, an Israeli-controlled strip of land that once separated northern Gaza from the rest of the territory, is due to be withdrawn by February 9 under the ceasefire agreement.

The corridor, established by Israel at the beginning of the Gaza war, stretches from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean Sea, with a width of about 6 km. The name Netzarim comes from the last Israeli settlement in Gaza, which was closed in 2005 under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's withdrawal plan.

The Netzarim Corridor stretches from the Gaza–Israel border to the Mediterranean Sea. The width of the corridor is about 6 km. Photo: CC

The full Israeli withdrawal comes a day after Hamas and Israel conducted their fifth prisoner swap. Hamas released three Israeli prisoners in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails.

Residents hoped the withdrawal would bring freedom of movement, allowing vehicles and humanitarian aid to reach northern Gaza more easily. But with homes destroyed, many have nowhere to return but to makeshift tents.

After completing the aforementioned withdrawal, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said an Israeli delegation arrived in Qatar on Sunday to continue talks on a ceasefire in Gaza.

Indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas on the next phase of the ceasefire are expected to begin this week following Netanyahu's visit to the United States last week.

However, a source in Netanyahu's office said the Israeli delegation at this point would only discuss technical issues, rather than the larger issues that need to be addressed, including the post-war governance of Gaza.

Last week, US President Donald Trump made a surprise call to remove Palestinians from Gaza and hand the land over to the United States. Mr Trump's plan was widely criticized, with some critics saying it amounted to "ethnic cleansing".

A source in Netanyahu's office said his security cabinet was scheduled to discuss the US president's proposal, as well as the second phase of the ceasefire, on Tuesday.

Hoai Phuong (according to AJ, Reuters, AFP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/israel-hoan-tat-rut-quan-giai-doan-mot-cu-phai-doan-den-qatar-dam-phan-giai-doan-hai-post333720.html