2024-09-03 12:54:26
The Israel Hayom newspaper published an extensive article devoted to the problems associated with the Philadelphia Corridor.
Under President Hosni Mubarak, with the exception of a brief period when the tunnels were destroyed by the IDF and the Egyptian army, an organized smuggling scheme was established linking Iran with Egypt via the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea.
The smuggling route crossed the deserts of Sudan and Egypt, then passed through the Sinai Peninsula and led to Gaza. Later, Islamist groups in Libya created an additional smuggling channel for ISIS terrorists in Sinai, which cooperated with the Hamas terrorist organization.
Under President Morsi, who represents the Muslim Brotherhood, the Philadelphi Corridor and its tunnels flourished. Now, under President Al-Sisi, the situation depends on how he evaluates Egyptian interests at the moment.
The tunnels were dug from the basements of houses, gardens and olive groves. The process of creating each tunnel took from two weeks to two months, and the owners of the houses or land through which they passed received a share of the profits made from the smuggling.
The Bedouin clans of Abu Samhadana and Abu Rish controlled most of the smuggling activity, making huge profits. The average tunnel cost about $100,000 to build, with its daily turnover averaging half a million shekels.
Thus, Egypt cannot be seen as an honest broker or a reliable observer, especially given the history of the Philadelphia Corridor and the disregard for the horrific statements of senior Al-Azhar Academy officials who promised the total destruction of Israel, describing it as a “cancer in the heart of the Arab Islamic nation.”
Egypt is currently rejecting any American proposals to place even a minimal Israeli presence on the Philadelphi Corridor. Prime Minister Netanyahu is absolutely right to refuse to rely again on sensors, electronic systems or cameras.
These measures failed to prevent the takeover of the Rafah crossing by Hamas terrorists and did not stop the events of October 7, but merely recorded their failures, which did not bring practical benefits. The Egyptians’ objection to any IDF participation in the new Philadelphi Corridor plan is suspicious and may indicate long-term trends that Israel prefers to ignore.
Earlier, Cursor wrote that Israel’s control over the Philadelphia Axis remains key to blocking arms supplies to the Hamas terrorist organization, despite the complex political and operational realities.