With the completion of Part A of the deal signed with the Hamas terrorist organization, an Israeli official stated this morning that Israel will not exit the Philadelphi route.
We will not allow them to strengthen themselves again
The official also said: “We will not allow Hamas murderers to roam with trucks and rifles along our border. We will not allow them to strengthen again through smuggling.”
According to the agreement, Israel was supposed to begin withdrawing from Philadelphi this coming Saturday, the 42nd day following the signing of the deal. The completion of the withdrawal was expected to end by March 9. However, after the return of the four fallen soldiers to Israel last night—Tzachi Idan, Ohad Yahalomi, Shlomo Mansour, and Itzik Elgart, of blessed memory—Israel is retracting its commitment.
It should be noted that in the first part of the deal, 33 hostages were released, including eight fallen ones. There are still 59 hostages in Hamas captivity, including 35 who have been declared as fallen.
The four fallen were identified
The coffins of the fallen hostages arrived early this morning at the Forensic Institute, where the identification process was carried out. In the morning hours, the identification process for all four was completed.
From the Prime Minister’s Office, it was reported last night that “Israel received the coffins of the four fallen hostages through the Red Cross. The coffins were delivered through Egyptian mediation to IDF forces at the Kerem Shalom crossing. The public is requested to respect the families’ privacy and to avoid spreading rumors or unofficial and unverified information.”
