Units of the Israeli army are conducting an operation for the first time in the area of the so-called Morag axis, which crosses the Gaza Strip from east to west in its southern part between the cities of Rafah and Khan Yunis.
This was reported by the press service of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
„The forces of the 36th Division returned to the Gaza Strip and began operations in the Morag axis area, where Israeli units are operating for the first time“, the statement said.
„Our military found weapons and killed dozens of terrorists“, the department added. The military noted that its divisional units were operating in the Rafah area as "part of an operation to locate and destroy terrorist targets remaining in the area".
On April 2, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel was taking control of the Morag axis in the Gaza Strip. According to him, this would become the "second Philadelphia corridor", which is a buffer strip about 15 km long on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
On March 18, the Israeli army resumed military operations in Gaza, launching massive attacks on the enclave and thus breaking the ceasefire established in January. Netanyahu's office explained this by Hamas's rejection of the proposals made at the negotiations by mediators and the US President's special envoy, Stephen Witkoff, stating that the goal of the operation in the sector was the release of all hostages. The radicals blamed Israel and the US for the renewed hostilities.