Israel’s military has announced it has taken control of a strategic zone along the Gaza-Egypt border, known as the Philadelphi Corridor. According to a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), around 20 tunnels used by Hamas to smuggle weapons into Gaza have been discovered in this area.
However, Egyptian TV quoted sources denying the existence of these tunnels and accused Israel of attempting to justify its military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. This announcement occurs amid heightened tensions with Egypt.
“In recent days, IDF troops established operational control on the Philadelphi Corridor, on the border between Egypt and Rafah,” said IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari on Wednesday. He described the corridor as a crucial supply route for Hamas, through which the group “regularly smuggled weapons into the Gaza Strip.” He stated that troops are “investigating and neutralizing” tunnels found in the area.
Mr. Hagari later clarified in a briefing with reporters that he could not confirm if all the tunnels crossed into Egypt, according to the New York Times.
The Philadelphi Corridor, a buffer zone approximately 100 meters (330 feet) wide in parts, runs along the Gaza side of the 13-kilometer (8-mile) border with Egypt. Egypt has previously claimed it had destroyed cross-border tunnels, rendering weapons smuggling impossible. An “high-level” Egyptian source, quoted by Al-Qahera News, accused Israel of using these allegations to justify prolonging its operation in Rafah for political reasons.
Israel maintains that controlling Rafah is crucial to achieving victory in the conflict ignited by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on October 7, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths and 252 hostages taken. Since the conflict began, at least 36,170 people have been killed across Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Tensions between Egypt and Israel have escalated since Israeli forces took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing point three weeks ago as part of their offensive against Hamas. Earlier this week, an Egyptian soldier was killed in an incident involving Egyptian and Israeli troops near Rafah.
Egypt, a strong supporter of the Palestinians, has condemned Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and the deaths of thousands of civilians. Like Israel, Egypt has enforced a blockade on its border with Gaza since Hamas seized power in 2006. Hamas is a branch of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood organization, which is banned as a terrorist group in Egypt.
Despite this, Egypt has maintained communication channels with Hamas and has acted as a mediator in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas to try to broker a ceasefire and secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
