Gaza: Israel Says It Controls Corridor Along Egyptian Border
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on Wednesday that it had 'operational' control over the entire Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of Gazan territory that runs along the Egyptian border. However, Israeli forces do not seem to have a physical presence along the entire border....
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Facts
- Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said on Wednesday that it had 'operational' control over the entire Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of Gazan territory that runs along the Egyptian border. However, Israeli forces do not seem to have a physical presence along the entire border.1
- Israel has also continued to launch raids into Rafah, with Israeli forces reportedly advancing into Tel al-Sultan, Yibna, and Shaboura before withdrawing back to the Philadelphi Corridor. Hagari said that the corridor was 'an oxygen line for Hamas,' as it facilitated the smuggling of weapons into Gaza.2
- Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said on Wednesday that he expected the war to last to the end of the year, defining victory as 'the destruction of the military and governing capabilities of both Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.' Hanegbi said Israel controlled around 75% of the Philadelphi corridor.3
- White House national security spokesperson John Kirby indicated on Wednesday that Israel's advance along the Philadelphi corridor did not cross the Biden administration's 'red lines' regarding Israel's Rafah offensive, saying that the US had been briefed.4
- CNN also reported on Wednesday that munitions used in an Israeli airstrike on a tent camp on Sunday that killed at least 45 people were US-made. Pres. Joe Biden said in an interview earlier this month that he would not provide certain offensive weapons to Israel in a Rafah offensive. The US said it did not know what type of munition was used in the strike.5
- Meanwhile, the UN said on Wednesday that the amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza has dropped by two-thirds since Israel began its Rafah offensive, adding that the amount of aid was 'already insufficient' before the offensive. The UN has warned of famine in Gaza.6
Sources: 1Guardian, 2Reuters (a), 3Timesofisrael (a), 4Timesofisrael (b), 5CNN and 6Reuters (b).
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by New York Times. Israel must be able to defend itself from terrorist attacks from Gaza or elsewhere, and the US is committed to preventing malicious actors from threatening Israel's legitimate concerns. However, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has gotten out of hand, and the Biden administration's red lines are clear. Netanyahu must keep his promises and work with US allies to find a resolution to this conflict.
- Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. The battle for Rafah is the most important battle of this war. Israeli forces are focusing on the Philadelphi corridor, which straddles the Egyptian border, as this region is crucial in preventing Hamas from rebuilding its clandestine supply lines into Gaza. Indeed, Israel must continue to push forward in Rafah, as it is the only way to defeat Hamas.
- Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. It should be clear after almost eight months of grinding brutality that Israel's true goal is to destroy Gaza and starve its people. The Biden administration, which has obscured its support for the Rafah offensive, has helped Israel destroy Gaza at every step of the way — even providing the bombs that burned dozens of women and children alive on Sunday. Israel is committing daily massacres in Gaza, and the US is fully complicit.
