Netanyahu says Israel is ‘dividing the Gaza Strip,' continuing to pressure Hamas

Israel is “dividing the [Gaza] Strip,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday evening in a statement released before his trip to Hungary. 

The prime minister described Israel’s recent maneuvers in Rafah as “switching gears.” 

"Last night in the Gaza Strip, we switched gears. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is seizing territory, striking the terrorists and destroying the infrastructure,’ Netanyahu said in a video statement. “We are also doing something else: We are seizing the Morag Corridor. This will be the second Philadelphi, an additional Philadelphi Corridor.” 

Israel seized the Philadelphi Corridor during fighting in 2024, claiming control of the corridor is crucial to cutting off Hamas’ weapons supply. Shortly after seizing the Philadelphi Corridor, Israel announced the discovery of several smuggling tunnels running from Rafah into Egypt under the Corridor. 

As part of the hostage-ceasefire agreement which Israel and Hamas agreed to in January, Israel was to have abandoned the Philadelphi Corridor on day 50 of the agreement, as part of negotiations for the second phase. However, Israel did not withdraw from the corridor, and after Hamas refused a proposal put forward by Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Israel renewed limited military operations. 

The Morag Corridor is named after an Israeli settlement of that name in the Gaza Strip, which was evacuated during Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. The seizure of the corridor would isolate Rafah from Khan Younis. 

On Wednesday, the IDF spokesman said that soldiers had completed the encirclement of the Tel Sultan neighborhood in Rafah, eliminating dozens of terrorists while locating and destroying weapons and terror infrastructure. 

According to a report in Maariv, the IDF intends to cut the Gaza Strip into four sections to increase the pressure on Hamas. The area between the Philadelphi and Morag Corridors would constitute one such section. 

Netanyahu also indicated that he is not changing his strategy of increasing military pressure on Hamas until the group agrees to the release of the remaining hostages. 

“We are now dividing the Strip and increasing the pressure step by step, so that they will give us our hostages. And as long as they do not give them to us, the pressure will increase until they do,” Netanyahu continued. 

Netanyahu’s statement came as the IDF has significantly expanded its operations across the Gaza Strip, deploying another division to the southern Gaza Strip and conducting several airstrikes in the area. The IDF is also increasing its operations in other areas of the Strip. 

IDF Division 252 is operating in the northern Gaza Strip and the Netzarim Corridor. Several brigades, including reserve brigades, are operating in the Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia areas, as well as in part of the Netzarim Corridor, which the IDF is retaking. 

These moves appear to be part of the implementation of the security zones mentioned by Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday. 

“'Operation Strength and Sword’ in Gaza is expanding to crush, clear the area of terrorists and terror infrastructure, and to seize large territories that will be incorporated into Israel’s security zones,” Katz stated at the time. 

Division 36 is operating in the Rafah area and is working to take full control of the "Morag Corridor.” The goal is apparently to encircle and bisect the Rafah area from Khan Younis.  

At the same time, the IDF is advancing forces in the area of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahi, creating a northern buffer while isolating Gaza City. The defense establishment says that the military activity is being proposed in areas where, according to the information available to the IDF, no hostages are being held, alive or dead. 

“We are determined to achieve the objectives of the war, and we are acting relentlessly, and with a clear line and a clear mission,” Netanyahu concluded. “And with G-d's help and that of our heroic soldiers, we will also achieve them.”