Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are “switching gears” to “cut up the (Gaza) strip” in order to compel Hamas to release hostages and relinquish control of the territory. Israel has taken over the Morag Corridor, a strategic zone in the southern Gaza Strip aimed at intensifying pressure on Hamas. Israel defends the creation of these corridors as necessary for national security and as leverage to secure the release of hostages.
The Morag Corridor, named after a former Israeli settlement, is the third security zone of its kind implemented by Israel within Gaza. Other strategic locations include the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, annexed in May 2024, and the Netzarim Corridor, which bisects the Gaza Strip near Gaza City. The establishment of these corridors effectively partitions Gaza into isolated sections, restricting movement and supply lines for Hamas.
The IDF’s strategy involves seizing large areas to incorporate into these security zones, aiming to dismantle Hamas’s operational capabilities. Defense Minister Israel Katz has stated the objective is to “seize large areas” to enhance control within Gaza. The Israeli forces mean to force Hamas into giving up the remain hostages. They plan to seize even more territories while displacing Palestinians. Officials in the Israeli government have hinted at plans aimed at placing the displaced Palestinians in other locations. The war trodden Palestinians took to protesting in the streets calling on Hamas to give up the hostages and end the war. They shouted slogans ‘Hamas out’. Chants of ‘enough death’ reverberated within the rubble.
These military operations have raised significant humanitarian concerns. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 50,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children, have been killed since the conflict escalated in October 2023. In addition to this the United Nations has estimated that about one million people have been displaced in Rafah alone due to the ongoing conflict.
