Israel Is Now Seizing More Lands In Gaza, Vowing To Slice Up The Strip Until Hamas Releases The Hostages
“We are now dividing the Strip and increasing the pressure step by step, so that they will give us our hostages,” Netanyahu said.
Israel is now seizing territory in Gaza as the new phase of its genocide, claiming it is to pressure Hamas into releasing the hostages.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, April 2, that Israel is “switching gears in Gaza,” and “seizing territory, striking the terrorists and destroying the infrastructure,” warning that pressure on Hamas will intensify until hostages are released.
Netanyahu said that Israeli forces are creating a new security corridor, “the Morag Corridor” in southern Gaza, calling it as the "second Philadelphi Corridor".
The corridor lies between Khan Younis and Rafah and would cut Rafah off from the rest of the Strip.
The Philadelphi Corridor, which Israel has seized control of since May 2024, is a narrow buffer zone along the Gaza-Egypt border, originally established as a demilitarized area to regulate movement and prevent smuggling between Gaza and Egypt.
It includes the Rafah Crossing, which is Palestinians’ only way in or out of Gaza that was not controlled by Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel has also been controlling the Netzarim corridor, which separates north Gaza from the rest of the Strip.
“We are now dividing the Strip and increasing the pressure step by step, so that they will give us our hostages,” Netanyahu said.
Earlier, Israeli defense minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military is expanding its offensive to "crush and clean" Gaza of Hamas militants while seizing extensive areas to integrate into Israel's security zones.
On March 18, Israel renewed its fighting in Gaza, launching massive airstrikes across the Strip, killing more than 400 Palestinians in less than 24 hours, breaking the nearly two-month ceasefire, after it refused to implement the second phase of the deal, originally set to begin on March 1.
Instead, Israel has been insisting that Hamas must now accept a new US deal, which would extend phase one by 50 days in exchange for Hamas releasing the remaining 59 hostages, most of whom are believed to be dead.
It then blocked all humanitarian aid and cut off electricity to Gaza when Hamas refused.
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