Israel says it launched military operation in Gaza’s Morag Axis

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

The Israeli army on Saturday said it launched a military offensive in the so-called “Morag Axis” in southern Gaza, a move Palestinian authorities say is part of a broader plan to entrench Israeli occupation and divide the coastal enclave.

The Morag Axis, a strategic corridor separating the southern Gaza cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, has become the latest flashpoint in Israel’s ongoing brutal military campaign.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted photos on X, claiming they show “initial operations carried out by the 36th Division forces in the Morag Axis.” He stated the division had resumed operations in Gaza and was now active in the corridor for the first time, operating “in coordination with actions on other fronts inside and outside the Strip.”

According to Adraee, Israeli forces are currently focused on the Rafah area, with the stated goal of dismantling infrastructure used by Palestinian factions.

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to seize control of the Morag Corridor, paralleling Israel's takeover of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border in May 2024. The Morag Corridor is named after a former Israeli settlement evacuated during Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza.

Palestinian officials have condemned the new operation, warning that it is aimed at physically dividing the Gaza Strip and ensuring continued Israeli military presence in the area.

More than 50,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in Israel's military onslaught since October 2023. The military campaign resumed in March following the collapse of a nearly two-month truce.