Ahlulbayt News Agency: The Israeli military has deployed troops in southern Gaza to establish a new military corridor, effectively cutting off Rafah from the rest of the besieged Palestinian territory.
Media reports said on Sunday that the Israeli military announced the deployment of troops to a newly established corridor across southern Gaza.
Israeli forces between Rafah and Khan Yunis were in the process of cutting off Rafah from the rest of Gaza.
A military statement said troops with the 36th Division had been deployed.
“These troops are shooting at anyone who is getting close to the area. The only area open to Palestinians now is the al-Rashid corridor on the coastal road,” a reporter working with al-Jazeera channel was quoted as saying
“This means more Palestinians are being squeezed into Khan Yunis and Deir el-Balah as Israel tries to take over more land – and Rafah is very important because it’s the main road for the Karem Abu Salem crossing [between Gaza and occupied territories] – it’s the main window for Palestinians through Rafah.”
The so-called Morag Corridor, named after a former illegal settlement that was evacuated in 2005, would split Rafah from the rest of the Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the corridor, announced on Wednesday, would cut off the southern city of Rafah from the rest of Gaza.
Israel has also reasserted control over the northern Netzarim corridor since shattering the ceasefire last month with a surprise bombardment to pressure the Hamas resistance movement to accept new terms for the truce, which has killed hundreds.
The Gaza Media Office said Sunday in a statement on X that the southern city of Gaza has entirely been demolished to make way for Israel to turn it into a “closed military operations zone."
Netanyahu, who is set to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, said the Israeli military was cutting up Gaza to increase the pressure on Hamas to release the captives.
Israeli minister of military affairs Israel Katz has said Israel would seize large areas of Gaza and add them to its so-called security zones.
The controversial proposal faced fierce opposition globally, with regional countries strongly rejecting the blatant scheme.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military presses ahead with its air and artillery strikes across the Gaza Strip, killing and injuring more Palestinian civilians in its latest round of attacks.
The death toll from the regime's genocide since October 2023 has crossed a staggering 50,700.
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