Is the Philadelphi corridor really worth more than the lives of the hostages?

Whether or not the hostages will come home or be forsaken to die in Gaza now hinges on the fate of a small strip of desert sand.

In May this year, the IDF took control of the Philadelphi corridor, a 14-kilometre-long demilitarised strip of land between Gaza and Egypt. Israel’s presence there is a direct violation of the Camp David Accords, leading Egypt to demand that Israel withdraws immediately.

The fact that Hamas built tunnels under this corridor to smuggle in weapons is no less a violation of international law. Their crimes of October 7 and the taking of so many innocent hostages are affronts to our humanity that many Israelis will never forgive. Thankfully, most of these tunnels have now been destroyed.

Yet in just four months, the Philadelphi corridor and the Netzarim corridor that severs the southern and northern parts of Gaza have become the holy of holies for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the logic now governing the negotiations, the corridor has become land Israel can no longer live without.

The negotiations resumed on Sunday, as fighting errupted between Hezbollah and Israel on the northern border,

Based on everything we know about the negotiations in Doha and Cairo, giving up this strip of land is the best chance Israel has to secure a more peaceful tomorrow for future generations.