Israel controls Rafah, creating a new ‘security corridor’ in Gaza

Israel announced on Saturday that its military had completed the establishment of a new security corridor in the Gaza Strip, effectively taking full control over South Rafah City – ordered by Israel was evacuated – and cut it from other Palestinian territories.

“IDF has now completed the takeover of the Morag axis that crosses Gaza between Rafah and Khan Yunis and made the entire region between the Philadelphi axis and the Morag section of the Israeli security zone,” Israeli Defense Minister Katz said in a statement. “IDF activities will soon develop strongly to additional locations in most Gaza and you have to evacuate the battle zone.”

More than 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel ended a ceasefire on March 18 in total, nearly 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023.

Earlier this month, Israel’s defense forces issued an evacuation order for the Gaza Great Plot which was hit by war, including the Khan Yunis and almost all Rafah.

IDF has expanded its operations in Gaza since ending a ceasefire in March, earlier this month by saying it would capture a large area. On April 2, Katz said they would “win the large area that would be annexed into the Israeli State Security Zone.”

Earlier this month, Israel’s defense forces issued an evacuation order for the Gaza Great Plot which was hit by war, including the Khan Yunis and almost all Rafah.

This came when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the establishment of the Morag corridor, which was called, describing it as the “second Philadelphi corridor” which in turn will divide Gaza and increase pressure on Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages.

The philadelphi corridor referred to refers to a narrow land along the Gaza border with Egypt which has been under Israel’s control since May 2024.

IDF said Israeli troops operated in several areas between Rafah and Khan Yunis where they had never operated before and that the strategy behind establishing a new security corridor was to separate Hamas fighters in Rafah from Khan Yunis, a spokesman for Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told a direction of the direction of the direction last week.

IDF said on Saturday that they had “eliminated dozens of terrorists, dismantling the underground tunnel route and Hamas’s terror infrastructure, and resolved the Rafah siege,” in the past half week.

In an address to Palestinians in Gaza after completing the Morag axis, Katz said IDF had continued to expand its territory in Gaza.

“This is the last time to remove Hamas and release all the hostages and end the war activities – IDF will soon develop strongly to additional locations in most Gaza,” he said.

“In northern Gaza, residents also evacuated in Beit Hanoun and other environments and the area is being taken, expanding the security zone and in the Netzarim corridor. IDF activities will soon develop strongly to additional locations in most Gaza and you must evacuate the battle zone,” Katz said.

Last week, IDF told the press briefing that the only thing that could stop the progress of IDF in Gaza was the release of hostages.

Katz reiterated the support for US President Donald Trump’s proposal to forcefully expel Palestinian citizens in Gaza and said they tried to enable Palestinian people in Gaza “voluntarily moved to various countries around the world.”

In February, Trump departed from several decades of US foreign policy, announced that the US would “clean up” the Gaza Strip and rebuild it, said the Palestinian people who lived there had to go – the statement that the UN and Allies, including France and Germany, had mentioned violations of international law and said it was the same as ethnic cleaning.

Trump at one threatening point will attract help to Egypt and Jordan if they disagree with taking Palestinians, even though less than 24 hours later, he said, “I don’t have to threaten that, I don’t think. I think we are above that.”

Egypt and Jordan are equally contrary to taking Palestinians who are forcibly moved.