![An Egyptian army soldier stands among the bushes in the wired border of the Philadelphi corridor, a buffer zone that separates Egypt from Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, 19 March 2007. [CRIS BOURONCLE/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/GettyImages-1546716700.jpg?fit=1200%2C749&ssl=1)
Egypt has strongly denied Israeli claims that there are active tunnels running under the Egyptian border with the besieged Gaza Strip along what is known as the Philadelphi Corridor, enabling weapons or people to be smuggled, Haaretz has reported.
An Israeli source involved in ceasefire talks with Cairo told the Israeli newspaper that the Egyptian officials have insisted to the Israeli delegation that there are no active tunnels under the corridor between the Gaza Strip and Sinai. The source explained that Egypt blocked all tunnels six years ago as part of comprehensive efforts to stop smuggling into the besieged enclave.
According to the newspaper, the source contradicts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assessment, as well as assessments made by other Israeli officials.
“There’s always a possibility that smuggling is taking place through tunnels that neither Egypt nor Israel know about,” said the source. “But Netanyahu’s demand for a permanent presence in the corridor under these circumstances raises questions and anger among the Egyptians.”
The source added that Egypt has confirmed that the tunnels discovered by the Israeli army in Gaza in recent weeks are not open on the Egyptian side.
Netanyahu’s demand for the continued deployment of Israeli forces along the Philadelphi Corridor has become a sticking point in the stalled talks aimed at concluding a ceasefire and releasing Israeli captives in Gaza as part of a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinians.
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