Israel Says Took Over Key Aid Corridor Amid Stifling Siege, Crisis

The Israeli occupation forces claimed Wednesday they had gained “operational control” over the crucial Philadelphi corridor along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

“We have established operational control” over the 14-kilometer (8.5-mile) corridor, a military official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

This development follows closely on the heels of Israeli forces taking control of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on May 7, marking the beginning of their ground assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. 

The Philadelphi corridor has historically served as a buffer zone between Gaza and Egypt, with Israeli troops patrolling the area until their withdrawal in 2005 in light of the liberation of Gaza at the hands of the Palestinian Resistance.

The claim, if true, is utterly devastating for the crisis-stricken civilian population of Gaza as thousands are facing starvation and death due to the lack of medical necessities, as it means that they will tighten their control over the fragile area that is already undergoing much devastation.

Earlier today, the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) organization called for an immediate end to the bombing in Rafah and Gaza.

Chris Lockyear, MSF Secretary-General, said, “Civilians are being massacred. They are being pushed into areas they were told would be safe only to be subjected to relentless airstrikes and heavy fighting,” adding, “Entire families, made up of dozens of people, are crowded into tents and living in extremely difficult conditions. Over 900,000 people were forcibly displaced again as Israeli forces intensified their offensive on Rafah in early May.”

Unsafe ‘safe zone’

In a statement on Wednesday, the MSF relayed that staff and patients at an MSF-supported trauma stabilization point in Rafah’s Tal al-Sultan were forced to leave the facility amid the increasing aggression only 24 hours after the IOF bombed tents in what it called a “safe zone”, killing at least 49 people and wounding over 250 others.

The Israeli occupation army claimed responsibility for the strike, claiming it was a “precision” attack to assassinate Hamas members.

Dr. Safa Jaber, an MSF gynecologist who is in the Tal al-Sultan tents with her family, expressed. “All of last night we heard clashes, bombings, and rockets being fired. Nobody knows what exactly is happening,” noting, “We are scared for our children, scared for ourselves. We were not expecting this to happen suddenly. Where shall we go? We are struggling to find the basics that every human being needs to stay alive.”