The military operation continues Israel In the south Gaza strip. the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) They claimed to have complete control over the so-called Philadelphia Corridora strip of land 14 kilometers long that extends along the border between Gaza andEgyptNear the city of Rafah. Here, Tel Aviv forces reported that 20 tunnels were discovered crossing Sinai territory, supposedly used before agitation To smuggle weapons from Egypt. The seizure of this area indicates that Israel has intensified its offensive there, despite calls for restraint in the wake of numerous civilian casualties in Rafah.

The Philadelphia Corridor is in Israeli hands

According to what I reported The Times of Israel IDF soldiers are reportedly physically present in most of the passes, and there is only a small area near the coast where there are no ground forces. But the Israeli army itself claims that it controls this area by surveillance and fire.

The newspaper then wrote that the length of the corridor has been roughly determined by the Israeli army so far 20 tunnels It connects Gaza to Egypt, which Hamas is known to use to bring it Weapons In the sector. At this point, the army believes that the pro-Palestinian group is no longer able to smuggle weapons from Egypt.

“This does not mean that we have forces on the ground along the entire corridor, but it means that we can control and have the ability to cut off the supply line agitation In the regionA military official explained in a press conference that about 82 access points to the tunnels were also found, some of which were already known before the operation. The Israeli army informed its Egyptian counterparts of the results.

What is happening in Rafah?

The Israeli move may complicate relations with Egypt, which has complained about Israel's advance towards its borders even as Israeli forces control the Rafah crossing, the only crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Remember that the corridor is part of a larger corridor Demilitarized zone Along both sides of the entire border between Israel and Egypt. Under the peace agreement, both countries are allowed to deploy only a small number of soldiers or border guards in the region. At the time of the agreement, Israeli forces controlled Gaza, and that control continued until 2005, when Israel withdrew its forces. The trail is very narrow and in some places is about 100 meters wide.

in the meantime, Al Jazeera He said that Israeli air strikes and artillery shelling resulted in the killing of at least 15 Palestinians since this morning. In a video clip published by the channel, smoke can be seen rising from a building in the city of Rafah. Other footage shows Palestinians injured as a result of quadcopter attacks in the area Tel Sultan. The continuing attacks have forced many Palestinians in the western part of the city to flee Khan Younes.

to'Palestinian National AuthorityHe explained that he had no indication of the possibility of reopening the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip soon to allow aid to enter.

Humanity. Minister of Health of the Palestinian National Authority, Majed Abu RamadanIt was clear:Since its closure, we have had no indication that the Israelis intend to reopen it anytime soon“.