Israel announced on Saturday that its soldiers had completed the creation of a new safety corridor in the Gaza Strip, effectively taking total control of the southern city of Rafah – which Israel had ordered the evacuation – and cut it from the rest of the Palestinian territory.
“The FDIs have now completed the takeover of the Morag axis which crosses Gaza between Rafah and Khan Yunis and makes the entire area between the Philadelphi axis and the Morag part of the Israeli security zone,” said Israel Katz Israel Minister Katz in a statement. “The activity of the FDI will soon extend to additional places in most of Gaza and you will have to evacuate the combat areas.”
More than 1,500 Palestinians were killed in Gaza since Israel ended the ceasefire on March 18. In total, nearly 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Earlier this month, Israeli defense forces expressed evacuation orders for large gaza bands torn by the war, including parts of Khan Yunis and almost any rafah.
The FDI has widened its operations to Gaza since its end of the ceasefire in March, earlier this month, saying that it would capture large territories. On April 2, Katz said that they “seized large areas that will be annexed to the security zones of the State of Israel”.
Earlier this month, Israeli defense forces expressed evacuation orders for large gaza bands torn by the war, including parts of Khan Yunis and almost any rafah.
This came while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the creation of the so-called Morag corridor, describing it as “a second Philadelphi corridor” which would divide Gaza more and increases pressure on Hamas to release other Israeli hostages.
The so-called Philadelphi corridor refers to a narrow strip of land along the Gaza border with Egypt which has been under Israeli control since May 2024.
The Palestinians flee Rafah to Khan Yunis in the Southern Gaza Strip on April 2, 2025.
EYAD BABA / AFP via gettty imagesages
The FDIs said that Israeli troops operated in certain regions between Rafah and Khan Yunis where they had never operated before and that the strategy behind the creation of the new security corridor was to separate the fighters from Hamas to Rafah from Khan Yunis, Lieutenant-Colonel Nadav Shoshani, Lieutenant-Colonel Nadav Shoshani.
The FDI said on Saturday that it “eliminated dozens of terrorists, dismantled underground tunnel roads and terrorist infrastructure in Hamas and finished the encirclement of Rafah”, the last and a half week.
In an address to the Palestinians in Gaza after the completion of the Morag axis, Katz said that the FDIs already continued to extend its territory to Gaza.
A boy pulls a cart with mattresses and a girl pushes a wheelchair with personal effects while the Palestinians flee Rafah to Khan Yunis in the southern gang of Gaza on April 2, 2025.
EYAD BABA / AFP via gettty imagesages
Images published by the Israeli army indicate to show Israeli soldiers who carry out operations in a place given as a region of Tel ALSULAN, RAFAH governorate, Gaza, in this image still taken from an undated document video, published on April 2, 2025.
Israeli army document via Reuters
“This is the last moment to withdraw Hamas and release all hostages and put an end to war activity-FDI will soon extend vigorously to additional locations in most Gaza,” he said.
“In the north of Gaza, residents also evacuate to Beit Hanoun and other districts and the area is underway, expanding the safety area and in the netzarim corridor. IDF activity will soon develop strongly in additional places in most Gaza and you will have to evacuate the combat areas,” said Katz.
Last week, the FDI said at a press briefing that the only thing that could stop FDI’s advance in Gaza is the release of hostages.
Images published by the Israeli army indicate to show Israeli soldiers who carry out operations in a place given as a region of Tel ALSULAN, RAFAH governorate, Gaza, in this image still taken from an undated document video, published on April 2, 2025.
Israeli army document via Reuters
Katz reiterated the support of the proposal of the American president Donald Trump to force the Palestinians in Force in Gaza and declared that they were working to allow the Palestinians of Gaza to “move voluntarily in various countries of the world”.
In February, Trump started from the decades of American foreign policy, announcing that the United States “would clean” the Gaza Strip and rebuild it, claiming that the Palestinians who live there should leave – a statement that the United Nations and the Allies, including France and Germany, called a violation of international law and have declared that this is equivalent to ethnic cleansing.
A photo published by the Israeli army said to show Israeli soldiers who carry out operations in a given place as a region of Tel ALSULAN, RAFAH governorate, Gaza, in this image of document published on April 2, 2025.
Israeli army document via Reuters
At one point, Trump threatened to withdraw help from Egypt and Jordan if they did not accept to take Palestinians, although less than 24 hours later, he said: “I don’t have to threaten this, I don’t think. I think we are above that.”
Egypt and Jordan were both firmly opposed to the adoption of forcibly displaced Palestinians.
