TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel announced Saturday that it has completed the construction of a new security corridor isolating the southern Gaza city of Rafah from the rest of the enclave, as it prepares to escalate military operations throughout much of the territory.
The new corridor, named after the former Jewish settlement of Morag, positions Israeli forces between Rafah and Khan Younis, effectively cutting off the southern tip of Gaza. The move follows widespread evacuation orders issued last week and signals an imminent major ground offensive.
Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that military activity would “soon expand vigorously to additional locations throughout most of Gaza,” warning civilians to evacuate the fighting zones—though without specifying where they could safely relocate.
In a public statement, Katz urged Palestinians to turn against Hamas and push for the release of Israeli hostages, saying: “This is the only way to stop the war.” Hamas has not yet responded.
The Israeli government says it aims to reclaim significant portions of Gaza to pressure Hamas into freeing the remaining 59 hostages—24 of whom are believed to be alive—and accepting new ceasefire terms. In parallel, Israel has maintained a month-long blockade on food, fuel, and humanitarian supplies, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis. Rights organizations have condemned the tactic as a war crime.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the Morag corridor as a “second Philadelphi corridor,” a nod to the strategic buffer zone along Gaza’s border with Egypt that Israel has controlled since May 2024. Israel has also retained control of the Netzarim corridor, slicing northern Gaza from the rest of the territory.
With these corridors and an expanded buffer zone, Israel now exercises control over more than 50% of the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, a controversial proposal by former U.S. President Donald Trump offers “voluntary” relocation of Palestinians to other countries. Katz voiced support for the plan, though Palestinians have overwhelmingly rejected it, calling it an attempt at ethnic cleansing. Human Rights Watch and other organizations have echoed this concern, warning that forced displacement would constitute a violation of international law.
Inside Gaza, civilians continue to be pushed into shrinking, overcrowded zones. Many are living in makeshift tent camps or among the ruins of bombed-out neighborhoods, often after being displaced multiple times since the war began following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that killed around 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians.
On Saturday, Israel ordered fresh evacuations east of Khan Younis, citing rocket fire from the area. Continued Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 21 Palestinians in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry reports that over 50,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—have died since the conflict began, with more than 1,500 killed since the ceasefire collapsed last month.
Israel claims it has killed about 20,000 Hamas fighters during the war, though it has not provided independent verification of that figure.
As the conflict intensifies and humanitarian conditions worsen, global pressure continues to mount for a long-term ceasefire and the protection of civilian lives
Reference
Israel Cuts Off Rafah, Vows Expanded Military Offensive Across Gaza