Israeli forces take full control of Gaza-Egypt border

The Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday they were in full “operational control” of the entire Gaza-Egypt border and had so far detected 20 tunnels leading into Egypt’s Sinai.

The 14-kilometre strip of land along the border is known as the Philadelphia Corridor, a buffer zone created to prevent arms smuggling after Israel withdrew from the Strip in 2006. But in 2007, Hamas violently took over Gaza from the Palestinian Authority.

The army said troops were present along most of the corridor except for a section near the Mediterranean coast, which was controlled by surveillance and shelling.

The army said it is aware of the presence of some tunnels across the border. 82 other shafts have also been found in the corridor area that do not cross the border and will be destroyed.

The IDF has reportedly found dozens of rocket launchers placed by Hamas along the border, which is a politically sensitive area. The border is technically a demilitarized zone under the terms of the Camp David accords signed in 1978.

Israel took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing and much of the border with Egypt on 7 May.

Hamas attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7 killed at least 1,200 people and took 252 Israeli and foreign hostages. Of the remaining 125 hostages, 39 are believed to be dead.