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The Israeli army has declared the dispatch of soldiers to a recently created security zone spanning southern Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed the corridor, introduced on Wednesday as the "Morag Corridor" , would sever the connection between the southern city of Rafah and the rest of Gaza.
Netanyahu, scheduled to have a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, stated, "We are dividing the area into sections and incrementally raising the pressure so that they return our captives to us."
The defense minister of Israel stated that the country plans to take control over substantial portions of Gaza and incorporate these regions into what they refer to as security zones.
A military announcement stated that soldiers from the 36th Division have been dispatched. The exact number of personnel involved and the precise location of this newly established route were not readily available at the time. Morag refers to an erstwhile Jewish settlement situated between Rafah and Khan Younis, as mentioned by Netanyahu, who indicated it would extend through areas linking these two towns.
The maps showcased by Israeli media illustrated the corridor spanning across the entire breadth of the slim coastal region from east to west.
Israel has regained control of the northern Netzarim corridor after breaking the ceasefire last month through an unexpected attack aimed at compelling Hamas to agree to revised truce conditions, resulting in numerous casualties.
Israel has committed to intensifying the conflict with Hamas until the armed faction releases the outstanding captives it seized since October 2023, relinquishes its weapons, and vacates the area. As part of this effort, Israel has ceased all deliveries of food, fuel, and humanitarian assistance into Gaza to exert further pressure.
Hamas states that they will only free the hostages in return for releasing additional Palestinian prisoners, securing a long-term truce, and Israel withdrawing from Gaza. They reject any conditions requiring them to disarm or abandon the territory.
The conflict in Gaza started following an attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities, mostly civilians. Around 251 individuals were abducted during this incident; many have been freed through ongoing talks between both sides. Currently, 59 captives still remain unaccounted for, with about 24 believed to be alive.
Health officials under Hamas control in Gaza report that over 50,000 Palestinians have died since the conflict started. These numbers do not differentiate between civilian casualties and those of Hamas fighters.
New video evidence challenges Israel's version of events regarding the death of Palestinian medical workers.
In Gaza's casualties are 15 Palestinian medical workers who were killed by Israeli forces the previous month. The forces subsequently used bulldozers to push the bodies, alongside damaged vehicles, covering them up in debris. a mass burial site identified earlier this week .
Video taken from one of the deceased medics' phones has uncovered fresh evidence about the incident, which challenges Israel’s initial statement that the ambulances had their emergency lights off when they were fired upon by soldiers.
The video depicts the Red Crescent and Civil Defence personnel operating their rescue vehicles with blinking lights and prominent logos as they approach to assist an ambulance that was previously attacked. There doesn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary or menacing about how these responders behave; three medical staff can be seen exiting the vehicle and moving towards the damaged ambulance.
Their cars soon become targets of intense gunfire lasting over five minutes, punctuated by short breaks. One can hear the vehicle owner reciting prayers during this time.
"Excuse me, Mother. This is the road I have taken,Mother, to assist others," he pleads, his voice feeble.
Earlier, the Israeli military stated that they fired at the vehicles because they were "approaching suspiciously" toward nearby troops without using headlights or emergency indicators.
An Israeli military officer informed reporters anonymously on Saturday night that the earlier report about the vehicles lacking emergency lights was incorrect.
The Israeli military stated that following the incident, their forces confirmed they had eliminated a Hamas member called Mohammed Amin Shobaki along with eight additional combatants. Nevertheless, among the 15 medical personnel who were reportedly killed, this individual’s name does not appear, and no further corpses have been discovered at the location.
The military has not disclosed what occurred to Shobaki's remains or revealed the identities of the other suspected militants. An Israeli military official stated that they are "gathering evidence" to demonstrate that Hamas members were killed.
Marwan Jilani, the vice president of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, stated that a mobile phone containing the footage was discovered in the pocket of an employee who had been killed. The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations disseminated the video to members of the UN Security Council.
The two rectangular concrete constructions evident in the footage can also be spotted in a United Nations video published on Sunday that documents the retrieval of remains from the area — indicating these landmarks are indeed at the same spot.
When asked about the video, the Israeli military stated on Saturday that the matter was "being meticulously reviewed."
