In a strategic move to intensify pressure on Hamas, Israeli military forces have been positioned along a newly created security corridor in southern Gaza, as reported by Israel on Saturday. This development comes as part of the ongoing military campaign weeks into the resurgence of hostilities in the region.
The initiative was disclosed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who earlier in the week detailed the introduction of the new Morag Corridor, designed to isolate the southern city of Rafah, which Israel has ordered to be evacuated, from the broader Gaza region. The Israeli military’s statement confirmed the deployment of troops from the 36th Division, though specific details about the troop numbers or the precise placement of the corridor remain unclear.
Historically, Morag was the site of a Jewish settlement situated between Rafah and Khan Younis. Netanyahu indicated that the corridor would stretch between these two locations. Maps released by Israeli media outlets displayed the corridor spanning the full width of the coastal strip from east to west.
Netanyahu referred to this new corridor as akin to another Philadelphi corridor – a strategic area on the Gaza-Egypt border under Israeli management since last May. In the previous month, Israel had broken a ceasefire in Gaza, launching an unexpected offensive intended to compel Hamas to accept revised ceasefire conditions established in January. This conflict has resulted in numerous Palestinian casualties.
Alongside the creation of the Morag Corridor, Israel has re-established control over the Netzarim corridor, effectively separating the northern third of Gaza, including Gaza City, from the rest of the region. Both the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors extend from Israel’s border all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.
Netanyahu emphasized Israel’s methodical approach to further segment Gaza to increase pressure on Hamas, demanding the return of hostages. The defense ministry has noted intentions to incorporate further areas of Gaza into their security zones.
The announcement of the Morag Corridor took place just before confirmation from a White House official regarding an upcoming meeting between Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday. This meeting follows their earlier engagement in January, highlighting the U.S.’s role not only as a mediator in the ceasefire dialogue—with countries such as Egypt and Qatar—but also as a supporter of Israel’s military actions.
Following their earlier meeting, Trump suggested resettling displaced Palestinians outside of Gaza and proposed U.S. involvement in the redevelopment of the area, an idea that faced heavy criticism from Palestinians, Arab states, and rights organizations.
Israel’s government has vowed to escalate military action against Hamas until the group returns hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attack, disarms, and vacates the Gaza territory. Furthermore, last month, Israel ceased all deliveries of essential supplies, including food, fuel, and humanitarian aid to Gaza—a decision decried as a war crime by human rights advocates, given the reliance of Gaza’s population predominately on international aid.
Hamas, however, has consistently stated that any release of the remaining 59 hostages—of whom 24 are thought to be alive—would be contingent upon the release of Palestinian prisoners, the establishment of a lasting ceasefire, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Hamas does not entertain demands to disarm or leave the region.
The violent assaults on October 7 by Hamas resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli fatalities, largely civilians. While most of the 251 hostages taken during this attack have been freed through ceasefire accords, hostilities have severely impacted Gaza, leading to over 50,000 Palestinian deaths per figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry. Though the Ministry does not classify victims as civilians or combatants, it remarks that a majority are women and children. Israel claims to have killed about 20,000 militants without offering evidence.
Tragically, casualties include 15 Palestinian medics who were slain by Israeli forces last month; they were subsequently buried en masse following an Israeli bulldozing operation.
The scale and devastation of this conflict are unprecedented, leaving vast swathes of Gaza in ruins with countless residents repeatedly displaced. Amid these tensions, families of hostages continue their calls for a ceasefire that would secure the safe return of their loved ones, either alive or deceased. Efrat Machikawa, the niece of hostage Gadi Moses, voiced her concern, expressing that Netanyahu’s tactics seem more likely to jeopardize the hostages’ lives than secure their release.