Military representative confirms Israel's management of passageway linking Gaza and Egypt.
The area known as the Philadelphi Corridor is a secure region along the border in the Gaza Strip. This zone was created in 1979 during the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. The Israeli military utilized it as a patrol route until their exit from the Gaza Strip in 2005. There have been consistent suspicions from Israel that militant groups in the Palestinian territory have been using the corridor to smuggle weapons.
An army spokesperson, Hagari, declared that over 20 tunnels had been found within the corridor by Israeli soldiers. However, a senior Egyptian representative denied these claims. He argued that Israel frequently uses such accusations to rationalize their operations against the Palestinian city of Rafah and extend the conflict for political gains, as reported by the Egyptian news source Al-Kahera News. Egypt has reportedly destroyed several hundred tunnels connecting Gaza Strip since 2013, as per its own statements.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military advanced into the city center of Rafah, which is entirely situated in the southern Gaza Strip near the Egyptian border. Israel maintains that the last Hamas battalions inside the Gaza Strip are stationed in Rafah and has been continuously attacking it, drawing international criticism for weeks. In early May, the Israeli army seized control of the Rafah border crossing.
On Wednesday, Israeli soldiers were found clashing from house-to-house in Rafah as per an AFP reporter's account. A military helicopter operated by Israel fired ammunition and rockets into the city center, and multiple tanks were operational, according to witnesses. The military wing of Hamas returned fire at Israeli soldiers, according to their own statements.
The continuing conflict between Israel and Hamas, deemed a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU, has lasted for more than seven months. On October 7, Hamas fighters assaulted Israel, resulting in the death of 1189 people, as per Israeli calculations. Moreover, 252 individuals were abducted as hostages in the Gaza Strip.
Due to this unforeseen ambush, Israel has been launching a prolonged military operation in the Gaza Strip. According to the most recent figures released by the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry, which cannot be independently verified, around 36,100 people have lost their lives so far.
Israel's National Security Advisor, Tzachi Hanegbi, predicted that the war could continue until the end of the year. "We might face a further seven months of combat to achieve what we define as the demolition of the power and military capabilities of Hamas," Hanegbi stated in an interview with the state-run radio station Kan on Wednesday.
Additionally, Hanegbi revealed that the Israeli government is presently discussing the post-war scenario in the Gaza Strip. "We are trying to devise a plan of events after the war such that Palestinians can manage their own lives," he said, adding, "Israel will be responsible for ensuring its own security, but we don't intend to govern in Gaza."
Concurrently, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the need for an Israeli blueprint for the post-war timeframe. While visiting Moldova on Wednesday, Blinken stated, "If there is no arrangement for the period after the war, there will be no period after. And here, we must act promptly and expeditiously."
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