Israel’s military says it has taken control of a strategically important area between the Gaza-Egypt border, known as the Philadelphia Corridor.
An Israeli Defense Force spokesman said they had found as many as 20 tunnels used by Hamas to smuggle weapons.
However, Egyptian television, citing a source, denied the claim and said Israel was trying to justify its military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Israel’s announcement comes as tensions with Egypt escalate.
“In recent days IDF troops have established control over the Philadelphia Corridor along the Rafah border with Egypt,” said IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.
He described the corridor as Hamas’s ‘lifeline’, claiming that Hamas regularly smuggles weapons into the Gaza Strip.
He said troops were working to ‘search … and de-risk the tunnels in the area’.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
According to the New York Times report Mr. Hagary later told reporters at a press briefing that he was not sure if all the tunnels were connected to Egypt.
The Philadelphia Corridor is a buffer zone or safe zone, which is only one hundred meters wide. And about thirteen kilometers from the Egyptian border towards Gaza.
Egypt has previously said it has destroyed the cross-border tunnels (connecting both borders). This makes it impossible to smuggle weapons through them.
On the other hand, quoting a high-level source in Egypt, Al Cairo News said, ‘Israel is using these allegations to prolong the war for political reasons and to continue the operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah.
Israel says it has no choice but to win Rafah to win the Gaza war. The war started with the attack of Hamas on the territory of Israel on the seventh of October. Twelve people were killed in the attack by Hamas and another 252 were taken hostage by Hamas.
On the other hand, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza, 36,170 people died in Israel’s operation there.
Tensions between Egypt and Israel have been rising since Israeli forces took control of the Rafah crossing three weeks ago as part of a fight against Hamas.
Earlier this week, an Egyptian soldier died in an unpleasant incident between Egyptian and Israeli troops in the border area near Rafah.
Egypt is a strong supporter of Palestine and has strongly criticized Israeli military operations in Gaza and the killing of large numbers of civilians.
But Egypt, like Israel, has blockaded the border since Hamas came to power in Gaza in 2006. Egypt has banned Hamas as a terrorist organization.
However, they have kept communication channels open with Hamas and are acting as mediators in negotiations between Israel and Hamas regarding a cease-fire and an offer to release Israeli hostages.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
What do we know about the city of Rafah?
Rafah is one of the oldest cities in the world, founded about five thousand years ago.
However, in the modern era, it has become known due to the publication of various news in the media.
Most of Rafah’s residents said they came to the city from the town of Khan Younis, which is on the other side of Gaza.
Many also came from the Negev Desert and the Sinai Desert region.
After the Nakba in 1948, thousands of people were expelled from different villages of Palestine and started living in Rafah.
More than 1.5 million Palestinians have taken refuge in Rafah over the past few months, most of whom fled their homes to escape the fighting and live displaced lives in Rafah.
Now that Israel has taken control of Rafah, there are concerns about what will happen there.