Israel will maintain a presence in the strategic corridor on Gaza’s border with Egypt, said Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu, adding “if Israel agrees to withdraw, even temporarily, the international community will never allow it to return, Paralel.Az reports citing First Post.

“It determines our entire future. This is the oxygen of Hamas,” he said in a news conference.

Netanyahu is under heavy pressure to reach a deal after Hamas terrorists killed six hostages, shortly before Israeli troops reached the tunnel where they were being held. He said that Hamas militants “executed” six hostages whose bodies were recovered from Gaza, shooting them “in the back of the head”.