Israel
The Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt is now under complete control of the Israel Defense Forces, according to an announcement made by IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.
This development comes amidst mounting pressure on Israel to cease its military operations against Hamas in Gaza, which have been ongoing for nearly eight months.
Hagari referred to the border area as the Philadelphi Route, which he described as a crucial route used by Hamas to smuggle weapons and carry out attacks on Israelis.
The IDF has discovered numerous rockets near the Egyptian border and has also uncovered around 20 tunnels built by Hamas under the city of Rafah.
These tunnels were part of Hamas’ strategy to use civilians as human shields. Hagari stated that the IDF has already eliminated approximately 300 terrorists in Rafah, but three Israeli soldiers have lost their lives in the recent fighting.
However, an Egyptian source quoted by Al-Qahera News denies the existence of tunnels along the Egyptian border, accusing Israel of using these allegations as a pretext to continue its operations in Rafah for political reasons.
The international community is increasing pressure on Israel to halt its operations in the densely populated Palestinian enclave, particularly in Rafah, where refugees from northern Gaza have sought shelter in accordance with IDF evacuation orders.
While the IDF claims to use high-precision weapons and carefully select its targets, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that the death of 45 civilians on Sunday was a tragic mistake.
This incident occurred when shrapnel from a strike on senior Hamas commanders in Rafah caused unintended casualties.
