here’s how one strip of land just 100 m wide and 9 Mi or 14 km in length is playing an outsize role in efforts to wind down the war between Israel and Hamas the war is in its 12th month and prospects for a ceasefire appear dim in May the Biden Administration unveiled its own plan which had four main points a phase cessation of hostilities and Israeli troop withdrawals exchanges of hostages for Palestinian prisoners for an increase in Aid and the last the eventual reconstruction of the Palestinian Enclave despite several rounds of mediated negotiations a deal does not appear to be close Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin netan has insisted on keeping the Philadelphia Corridor that strip of land between Gaza and Egypt his argument is that to do otherwise would be potentially to allow Hamas to rearm and even to smuggle hostages abroad Egypt and Hamas want the Israelis out of Philadelphia the Biden plan of May did not specifically mention the Philadelphia Corridor but it did call for an Israeli troop withdrawal from populated areas Israel says Philadelphia should be Exempted the corridor was not fully occupied by Israeli troops when the M plan was hatched by the Americans It also says that since then those forces have discovered muggling tunnels underneath Israel says it might consider a withdrawal from Philadelphia in the second phase of the proposed deal a phase when hostilities are meant to end entirely