Escalating Conflict: Israel Expands Control in Gaza Amid Humanitarian Crisis
Israel has claimed full control over the new Morag corridor, a crucial security route aimed at severing connections between Rafah and Khan Yunis. This development, reported by The Times of Israel, effectively encircles Rafah, isolating it from other areas due to the presence of both the Morag corridor and the Philadelphi land corridor, the latter of which borders Egypt and is also under Israeli control.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Katz announced the intention to intensify military operations across more locations in Gaza, signaling a new phase in the ongoing conflict.
According to local sources, Israeli troops began to establish their presence in the Morag corridor in early April. This expansion is set to enlarge Israel's buffer zone throughout southern Gaza, extending from the Egyptian border to Khan Yunis—spanning over five kilometers and encompassing roughly twenty percent of the Gaza Strip. This marked shift in strategy has brought concern, as political analysts like Anders Persson, a Middle East expert at Linnaeus University, assert that Israel's military operations and rhetoric have taken a more aggressive turn since the ceasefire collapsed in March.
Persson questions whether Israel's current approach is a temporary tactic aimed at pressuring Hamas during negotiations or a more permanent strategy to maintain control in the region.
Furthermore, Defense Minister Katz indicated that residents of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza and areas in central Gaza—including the Netzarim corridor—are being evacuated in an effort to broaden the zones under Israeli security management. Last week, reports confirmed that Israel controls about fifty percent of the Gaza Strip. Katz further suggested that those displaced could voluntarily relocate to various countries around the world, aligning with a vision proposed by former President Trump regarding the future for Gaza. This proposition, however, has drawn condemnation from multiple nations arguing it violates international law.
Even if Trump's broader plan remains unrealized, Persson notes that Israel continues to adopt certain aspects of it to facilitate the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) estimates that approximately 400,000 Palestinians have been displaced since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ended on March 18. Concurrently, humanitarian aid into Gaza remains blocked, exacerbating an already dire situation.
Each day that passes worsens the humanitarian crisis, according to Persson. The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric, has warned that hospitals are running low on essential supplies while many residents lack access to basic necessities such as food, water, and electricity. The current conditions in Gaza have been described by observers as hellish.
Recent reports from Hamas-controlled health authorities reveal that in just the past 24 hours, around 20 Palestinians have been killed and over 60 injured as a result of ongoing Israeli attacks. As the conflict intensifies, the plight of civilians in Gaza continues to deteriorate, drawing urgent calls for action from the international community.
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