Israel says new security corridor completed, severing Gaza’s southernmost city

Israel announced it has completed the construction of the new Morag corridor, essentially separating the southern city of Rafah from the rest of the Gaza Strip, further squeezing Palestinians into shrinking wedges of land, as air strikes continued across the enclave.

The forces have “completed the encirclement of Rafah”, a statement by the Israeli military said.

Israeli troops with the 36th Division were deployed last week to Morag, the name of a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, after the army ordered sweeping evacuations covering most of Rafah, indicating it could soon launch another major ground operation.

This comes as Israel has vowed to seize large parts of the Palestinian territory to pressure Hamas to release the remaining 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.

In a statement, the Rafah municipality called Israel’s actions a “flagrant breach of international legitimacy”.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has also imposed a month-long blockade on food, fuel and humanitarian aid that has left the territory’s roughly two million Palestinians facing acute shortages as supplies dwindle – a tactic that rights groups say is a war crime.

Mr Netanyahu had said Morag would be “a second Philadelphi corridor”, referring to the Gaza side of the border with Egypt further south, which has been under Israeli control since May.

Israel has also reasserted control of the Netzarim corridor, which cuts off the northern third of Gaza from the rest of the Strip.

The corridors, coupled with a buffer zone, that Israel has razed and expanded, give it more than 50% control of the territory.

Israel’s defence minister on Saturday warned Palestinians that the army was going to “vigorously” expand to other locations throughout Gaza, urging them to “remove Hamas” and release the hostages.

“Hamas is unable to protect the residents or the territory. Hamas leaders are hiding in tunnels with their families and in luxury hotels abroad with billions in their bank accounts, and are using you as hostages,” said Israel Katz.

“Soon, (military) activity will expand rapidly to additional locations throughout most of Gaza and you will have to evacuate the fighting zones,” he said in a statement, without saying where Palestinians were meant to go.

The statement urged Palestinians to stand up and remove Hamas and release the remaining hostages, saying: “This is the only way to stop the war.”

There was no immediate Hamas response.

Mr Katz also said Palestinians interested in “voluntarily” relocating to other countries would be able to as part of a proposal by US President Donald Trump and Mr Netanyahu.

Palestinians have vehemently rejected the proposal, dubbed “voluntary emigration”, and expressed their determination to remain in their homeland.

Mr Trump and Israeli officials have not said how they would respond if Palestinians refuse to leave.

But Human Rights Watch and other groups say the plan, if implemented, would amount to “ethnic cleansing”, the forcible relocation of the civilian population of an ethnic group from a geographic area.

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes across Gaza continued on Saturday, killing at least 21 people in the last 24 hours, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Israel also ordered the evacuation to areas east of Khan Younis ahead of an attack there, said Avichay Adraee, a spokesman for the military.

He said militants had fired rockets into Israel from these areas.

Hamas has said the bombardment poses risks to the hostages as well. On Saturday, the family of the last living American held in Gaza responded to the release of a new video showing Edan Alexander speaking under duress.

“When you sit down to mark Passover, remember that this is not a holiday of freedom as long as Edan and the other 58 hostages are not home,” the family said in a statement.

Families and supporters again rallied in Tel Aviv for a deal to bring everyone home.

The Israel-Hamas war started on October 7 2023, after the Palestinian militant group attacked southern Israel and left some 1,200 people dead.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive in the Gaza Strip has so far killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry, which says the majority have been women and children.

The ministry said at least 1,500 people have been killed since the ceasefire collapsed last month.

Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.