Israeli army cuts Rafah off from rest of Gaza Strip

By Linda Bordoni

By cutting Rafah off from the rest of the Gaza Strip, Israel has effectively claimed it as part of its so-called "security zone“.

Israel‘s defence minister, Israel Katz, confirmed the move, saying the country has seized what it calls the Morag Corridor. He also issued the threat that Israeli operations will spread to most of Gaza‘s territory if Palestinians do not – in his words – banish Hamas and release all hostages, stopping the war.

Katz also said that the Netzarim Corridor, a route that divides the Strip in two, will also be expanded. Israel withdrew from the area briefly during the ceasefire earlier this year, only to seize it again when it resumed hostilities.

This comes as the Israeli army orders residents in many Khan Younis neighbourhoods to evacuate, warning of an imminent attack “with great force.“

Since the assault on Israel by Hamas in October 2023 and the onset of the current onslaught on Gaza, over 50,900 Gaza residents have been killed, and more than 116,000 have been injured.

In the past 24 hours alone, 26 bodies and 106 wounded people were transported to health facilities across the enclave, amid a blockage of food, medicine and fuel distribution that has exacerbated an already devastating humanitarian emergency.

United Nations humanitarian officials on Saturday denounced Israel‘s attacks on water systems in Gaza, that they say, have led to “absolutely catastrophic conditions for Palestinians.