The Muslim World League (MWL) strongly condemned on Tuesday the Israeli government's remarks on the Philadelphia Corridor and “its futile attempts to justify its ongoing violations of international laws and norms.”
In a statement, MWL Secretary-General Sheikh Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa denounced the “serious and continuing violations committed by the Israeli government”, its disregard for international laws and norms, and undermining of the good efforts to end the war.
It stressed its full solidarity with Egypt in confronting all Israeli allegations.
Al-Issa, who also is chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars, renewed the MWL's urgent appeal to the international community “to adopt a firm and strict stand to end the horrific humanitarian tragedy endured by the Palestinian people and to consider effective and concrete measures to halt this ongoing, brutal aggression.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday rejected calls to soften his demand to keep troops in the southern Gazan border area as the price for a ceasefire deal, saying it was vital for Israel to control a key lifeline for Hamas.
The issue of the Philadelphi Corridor, on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt, has been a major sticking point in efforts to secure a deal to halt the fighting in Gaza and return Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Hamas has rejected any Israeli presence, while Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will not abandon the corridor, where Israeli troops have uncovered dozens of tunnels they say have been used to smuggle weapons and ammunition into Gaza.
