The Israeli army has gained “operational control” over the strategic Philadelphi corridor along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. The army spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, stated that Israeli troops have discovered around 20 tunnels in the Philadelphi area, including a sophisticated underground terrorist infrastructure. The corridor was used by Hamas to transport weapons to the Gaza Strip.
The seizure of the corridor comes weeks after Israeli forces took control of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. The corridor had served as a buffer zone between Gaza and Egypt, and Israeli troops patrolled it until 2005 when they were withdrawn. Palestinians have used tunnels to get around Israel’s blockade imposed when Hamas came to power.
Fighting continued in Rafah on Wednesday following Israeli tanks entering the city. The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel, resulting in numerous casualties. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has resulted in a significant number of casualties in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.
