After giving a press conference to an Israeli audience to explain the importance of holding the Philadelphi corridor and Hamas' refusal to bend in hostage negotiations, Prime Minister Netanyahu has announced a press conference today (Wednesday) for the foreign press to discuss these issues.
At the previous press conference Netanyahu said that "in this specific war against Hamas, we set four goals: to dismantle Hamas, retrieve our hostages, ensure Gaza does not pose a threat, and restore security to the northern residents. Three of these objectives go through one channel: the Philadelphi Route."
Netanyahu proceeded to show a presentation explaining the strategic importance of the Philadelphi Route and then asked and answered questions:
"The question arises: why didn’t you capture the route if it is so important?
"There was constant armament, and we fought them in a series of wars: Operation Protective Edge, Pillar of Defense, Operation Cast Lead. We eliminated senior officials, but there was no national or international legitimacy to re-capture the Philadelphi Route. This route will not be evacuated; if we relinquish control, Gaza will become a terror enclave."
