Israel expands military operations in Gaza, announces new security corridor

Department of Research, Studies and International News 03-04-2025

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared a significant shift in military operations in Gaza, confirming that Israel is actively seizing territory and establishing new security corridors. His announcement comes amid an intensified military campaign in the besieged Palestinian enclave, raising concerns about the long-term implications of Israel’s territorial ambitions.

In a video statement on Wednesday evening, Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces had escalated their offensive in Gaza, targeting militant groups and dismantling their infrastructure. “We are seizing territory, striking terrorists, and destroying their strongholds,” he affirmed. He also revealed plans to establish a new security corridor, referring to it as the “Morag route,” likening it to the Philadelphi corridor, a militarized zone along Gaza’s border with Egypt.

The construction of this corridor, Netanyahu explained, serves a strategic purpose: “By dividing up the strip, we are applying pressure step by step, so that our hostages will be returned to us.” The move has sparked widespread concerns that Israel may be preparing to assert long-term control over parts of Gaza, complicating ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

Israel’s Territorial Expansion in Gaza

Since the outbreak of the war in October 2023, the Israeli military has taken control of approximately 62 square kilometers of Gaza’s territory, accounting for about 17% of the enclave, according to the Israeli human rights organization Gisha. One key element of this strategy is the Netzarim corridor, a military-controlled zone that now effectively severs Gaza City from the southern part of the strip.

The new “Morag route” is named after a former Israeli settlement that was once located between Rafah and Khan Younis. Analysts suggest that the naming signals Israel’s intent to establish a military corridor that will divide these two major cities in the south, further fragmenting the already devastated region.

Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed Netanyahu’s statements, saying the Israeli army plans to “seize large areas” of Gaza, an operation that will necessitate large-scale civilian evacuations. However, neither Netanyahu nor Katz have provided specific details on the extent of land Israel intends to control, leaving uncertainty about whether these security corridors are temporary wartime measures or part of a broader territorial strategy.

Humanitarian Toll and Intensified Airstrikes

The announcement of the new security corridor came amid a dramatic escalation in Israeli airstrikes on Khan Younis and Rafah. According to hospital officials, at least 21 people were killed in overnight bombardments.

One of the deadliest attacks occurred in Jabaliya, where an Israeli airstrike on a health clinic sheltering displaced families resulted in the deaths of at least 19 people, including nine children. The Israeli military stated that it had targeted a Hamas command center in the Jabaliya refugee camp but later acknowledged that the strike had hit a building also housing civilians.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) condemned the attack, revealing that the facility had been registered as a shelter for 160 displaced families. “Many people remain at the site because they have nowhere else to go,” the agency said, noting that it had previously shared the building’s coordinates with Israeli forces to prevent such incidents.

In another deadly incident, medical workers in Khan Younis reported that 10 members of the same family, including five women and two children, were killed in an airstrike. The Israeli military stated that it was reviewing reports of civilian casualties.

Israeli military operations have led to mass displacements across Gaza. Last week, the IDF issued evacuation orders covering Rafah and areas stretching north towards Khan Younis, instructing civilians to relocate to al-Mawasi, a coastal region designated by Israel as a “humanitarian zone.” However, humanitarian groups have criticized the designation, pointing out that Israel has repeatedly bombed areas within al-Mawasi, leaving civilians with no safe refuge.

Since Israel resumed large-scale bombing on March 18, over 140,000 people have been displaced, according to UN estimates. The humanitarian situation has deteriorated sharply, with more than 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents having been forced from their homes at least once since the war began.

Israel has also imposed strict restrictions on humanitarian aid, blocking the entry of food, water, and fuel into Gaza in an effort to pressure Hamas. The ongoing blockade, which has lasted for over a month, is now the longest in the conflict’s history.

Stalled Ceasefire Negotiations and Growing Domestic Pressure

Efforts to broker a ceasefire, led by Qatar and Egypt, have stalled, with no significant progress reported. Under the terms of the previous ceasefire agreement, both sides were supposed to negotiate a broader peace deal during the initial 42-day truce period. However, Israeli authorities repeatedly postponed the talks, ultimately leading to a resumption of hostilities.

The ongoing conflict has also triggered domestic unrest within Israel, particularly among the families of hostages still held in Gaza. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the relatives of those kidnapped on October 7, expressed outrage over the government’s decision to intensify military operations rather than prioritize negotiations.

“We were horrified to wake up to the defense minister’s announcement about expanding military operations in Gaza,” the group said in a statement. “The government’s highest priority must be an immediate deal to bring ALL hostages back home, both the living and those killed, while ending this war.”