Rafah battles intensify as Israel takes over Gaza-Egypt border strip to cut off smuggling tunnels
- Israel said its forces had taken over the 14-kilometre Philadelphi corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border, which it suspects was used for weapons smuggling
- Egyptian officials have said a potential Israeli takeover of Philadelphi could violate a landmark 1979 peace deal
Rafah residents reported intense artillery shelling and gunfire on Thursday in Gaza’s far-southern city after Israel said it had seized a strategic corridor on the Palestinian territory’s border with Egypt.
The Israeli military launched its incursion into Rafah in early May, despite international objections over the fate of Palestinian civilians sheltering there.
A strike over the weekend that started a fire and killed dozens in a displacement camp drew a wave of fresh condemnation, including a social media campaign with the slogan “All eyes on Rafah” that has been shared by tens of millions of users.
Israel, which has repeatedly vowed to destroy Hamas after the Palestinian militant group attacked southern Israel on October 7, said on Wednesday its forces had taken over the 14-kilometre (8.5-mile) Philadelphi corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border, which it suspects was used for weapons smuggling.
Military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari announced Israel had taken “operational control” of the narrow border area, where he said troops had “discovered around 20 tunnels”.
Egypt, a long-time mediator in the conflict which has become increasingly vocal in its criticism of the Israeli operation, has rejected claims of smuggling tunnels running beneath the buffer zone.
