During the operation, Israeli forces located and destroyed terrorist infrastructure and weapons caches. Dozens of militants were eliminated with the assistance of IDF artillery and intelligence units.
The first IDF operation in the “Second Philadelphi Route”; Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit
A New “Philadelphi Route”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week described the operation as a new phase in Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. “We’ve shifted into a higher gear in Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “The IDF is seizing territory, striking militants, and destroying terrorist infrastructure.”
Referring to the strategic corridor being secured by Israeli forces, Netanyahu added: “We’re doing something additional—we’re taking over the ‘Morag Corridor.’ This will be a second Philadelphi Route, an additional corridor for containment.”
The original Philadelphi Route is a narrow buffer zone along the Gaza-Egypt border established under the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace agreement. It has become a key term in discussions around Israel’s efforts to divide the Gaza Strip into operational sectors and prevent weapons smuggling.
Increasing Pressure on Hamas
Netanyahu emphasized that the goal of the new strategy is to apply growing pressure on Hamas to secure the release of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
“We are slicing Gaza apart and increasing the pressure step by step,” he said. “If they don’t release our hostages—the pressure will continue to intensify until they do.”
