The so-called Philadelphi Corridor is a narrow band of land along the Gaza-Egypt border and it has emerged as a sticking point in talks aimed to halt the Israel-Gaza war.
But who controls the corridor and what's its significance?
What is the Philadelphi Corridor?
The Philadelphi Corridor is a 14-kilometre-long strip of land, only 100 metres wide in some places, that represents the entire length of the Gaza side of the border with Egypt.
It includes the Rafah crossing, which was Gaza's only outlet to the outside world not controlled by Israel until its army took control of it in May.
The name Philadelphi was a code name chosen by the Israeli army. The Egyptians call it the Salah-al Din Corridor. It is also referred to as the Egypt-Gaza border.
Why does Israel want it?
In 2005, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip but continued to control the territory's airspace, coastline, and all of its border crossings except the one at Rafah — which borders Egypt.
It followed an agreement in 2005 that allowed Egypt to deploy 750 soldiers and heavy arms to safeguard its side of the corridor.
The responsibility of the Gaza side was handed over to the Palestinian Authority.
But during a 2007 takeover of the Gaza Strip, Hamas took full control.
In May this year, during the Israel-Gaza war, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) entered the Philadelphi Corridor.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed Israel must maintain control of the corridor to prevent Hamas from replenishing its arsenal through a network of smuggling tunnels in the area.
Egypt has issued a statement rejecting Mr Netanyahu's allegations, adding that he had misled the Israeli public and obstructed ceasefire efforts.
Egypt said it destroyed hundreds of tunnels on its side of the border years ago and set up a military buffer zone of its own that prevented smuggling.
Hamas has also denied the allegations from the Israeli prime minister.
Why does it matter in ceasefire negotiations?
Hamas has demanded a full withdrawal from Gaza and accused Mr Netanyahu of only raising the demand for the Philadelphi Corridor in recent weeks to derail ceasefire talks.
At a news conference earlier in the week, Mr Netanyahu pointed to a map of the region depicting weapons flowing into Gaza from across the border.
He said the corridor provided "oxygen" for Hamas.
Israelis, including the defence minister, said Israel should relinquish the corridor — at least for a short period of time — in order to secure an agreement to bring back about 100 hostages still held in Gaza.
But during a press conference in Jerusalem on Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu doubled down on his comments about the corridor.
"I'm telling you that if we relieve the pressure, if we get out of the Philadelphi Corridor, we are not going to get the hostages back," Mr Netanyahu said.
The debate over a ceasefire and hostage deal reached a fever pitch after Israel recovered the bodies of six hostages that its military said Hamas killed as troops closed in.
It sparked mass protests in Israel, led by the families of the hostages.
Mr Netanyahu has insisted on keeping Israeli troops in key points of the Gaza Strip after any ceasefire, reportedly despite pressure from his defence minister, as well as senior generals and intelligence officials, to abandon those conditions for a deal.
Mr Netenyahu has faced criticism from within Israel for holding out on the issue of the corridor, including from many in his own security establishment who believe Israeli troops can make targeted interventions if needed to prevent any smuggling.
Egypt, which has served as a key mediator in the ceasefire talks, was also opposed to any Israeli presence along the Gaza side of its border and said it would threaten the decades-old peace treaty between the two countries, a cornerstone of regional stability.
US President Jo Biden said he did not think Mr Netanyahu was doing enough to reach a deal, and indicated that the US was planning to present a final ceasefire proposal to both sides soon.
"We're very close to that," Mr Biden told reporters.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said Mr Biden's criticism of Mr Netanyahu was "American recognition that Netanyahu was responsible for undermining efforts to reach a deal".
He said the group would respond positively to a proposal that could secure a ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
What do Palestinians say about the corridor?
For 16 years, the Rafah crossing was the only way for most Palestinians to exit or enter Gaza.
During the first seven months of the Israel-Gaza war, it was also the only route available for medical evacuations and the main entry point for humanitarian aid.
Hamas has rejected any Israeli presence in Gaza, including in the Philadelphi and the Netzarim corridors, a buffer zone carved out by Israel separating northern from southern Gaza.
Israel said it needed that corridor to search Palestinians returning to their homes in the north, to keep militants from slipping in.
Israel denies its demands regarding the two corridors are new, referring to them as "clarifications" of an earlier proposal endorsed by President Joe Biden in a May 31 speech and by the UN Security Council.
Israel also accuses Hamas of making unacceptable demands since then, saying the militant group is hindering a deal, including by killing hostages who would be part of it.
ABC/AP
