Troops of the 36th Division operate in the Morag Corridor in the southern Gaza Strip, in a handout photo issued on April 12, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
| Published April 12, 2025
the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the full capture of the Morag Corridor in southern Gaza, effectively severing the city of Rafah from Khan Younis and surrounding Rafah with Israeli military presence .
The operation was carried out by the IDF’s 36th Division, with the 188th Armored Brigade advancing from the northwest and the Golani Infantry Brigade from the southeast, meeting overnight to complete the corridor’s capture. Engineering units are now constructing a road along this corridor, mirroring similar infrastructure in other Israeli-controlled zones within Gaza .
This development is part of Israel’s broader strategy to establish security corridors that divide Gaza into separate sections, aiming to exert pressure on Hamas to release hostages and relinquish control. The Morag Corridor complements existing Israeli-controlled zones, including the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border and the Netzarim Corridor separating northern Gaza from the south .
The IDF has expanded its buffer zone along the Gaza border from several hundred meters to approximately 2 kilometers in most areas. In southern Gaza, this buffer now extends from the Egyptian border to the outskirts of Khan Younis, encompassing the entire city of Rafah and covering about 20% of the Gaza Strip .
During the operations in the Morag Corridor area, the IDF reports eliminating dozens of Hamas operatives and destroying infrastructure, including tunnels. Evacuation warnings for civilians in Rafah were issued nearly two weeks prior to the corridor’s capture .
Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, have indicated that the establishment of the Morag Corridor is intended to increase pressure on Hamas to release hostages and disarm. Katz has urged Gazans to expel Hamas and facilitate the return of hostages as a means to end the conflict .
The international community has expressed concern over the humanitarian impact of these military operations, particularly regarding the displacement of civilians and the potential for a prolonged conflict .
Palestinians flee areas in the eastern part of Gaza City
Implications:
The capture of the Morag Corridor by the IDF has several major implications—both militarily and geopolitically:
🔴 Military Implications
-
Rafah Isolated
-
The corridor effectively cuts off Rafah from Khan Younis and the rest of Gaza, isolating Hamas strongholds and limiting their mobility and supply routes.
-
It disrupts Hamas command-and-control, especially if leaders or hostages are in Rafah.
-
-
Increased Israeli Control
-
Israel now controls multiple key corridors, dividing Gaza into distinct zones, which allows them to dominate movement and logistics inside the strip.
-
-
Tactical Pressure on Hamas
-
With Rafah encircled, this raises military and psychological pressure on Hamas, potentially forcing negotiations or releases of hostages.
-
🔵 Humanitarian Implications
-
Civilian Displacement
-
The operation could lead to more civilian displacement, especially as Rafah is densely populated with over a million people, many of whom are already refugees.
-
-
Access to Aid
-
With areas like Rafah encircled, access for humanitarian aid becomes more complicated, increasing the risk of a humanitarian crisis unless safe corridors are maintained.
-
🟡 Political & Strategic Implications
-
Escalation Risk
-
Cutting off Rafah, which is on the Egyptian border, could strain Israel-Egypt relations, especially if operations near the Philadelphi Corridor intensify.
-
-
Signals a Long-Term Strategy
-
Establishing permanent corridors, roads, and military zones suggests Israel may be aiming for longer-term control or security presence in Gaza, even post-war.
-
-
Pressure on International Negotiators
-
The corridor’s capture might be used to gain leverage in future ceasefire or hostage negotiations, with Israel holding more ground and military dominance.
-
🧭 Overall Takeaway
The capture of the Morag Corridor marks a turning point in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, signaling a shift from high-intensity conflict to strategic territorial control. By physically dividing Gaza and isolating Rafah, the IDF has not only weakened Hamas’s operational flexibility but also tightened the noose around its last major stronghold.
This move demonstrates Israel’s intent to reshape the battlefield—and possibly the future of Gaza itself—by controlling key corridors, limiting Hamas’s reach, and applying both military and psychological pressure. However, it also raises serious humanitarian and geopolitical risks, particularly regarding displaced civilians, strained regional relations, and the potential for a prolonged presence in the Strip.
In short: Israel gains a tactical advantage, but at the cost of escalating regional tensions and worsening humanitarian conditions.
SOURCES: THE TIMES OF ISRAEL – IDF says it has captured Gaza’s Morag Corridor, cutting off Rafah from Khan Younis
VATICAN NEWS – Israeli army cuts Rafah off from rest of Gaza Strip
THE DAILY TRIBUNE – Israel seizes key Gaza corridor, to expand offensive
