Israel Completes Morag Corridor, Isolating Rafah in Southern Gaza Amid Intensified Military Campaign

On April 12, 2025, the Israel Defense Forces completed the Morag Corridor, isolating Rafah from the rest of Gaza. This move escalates Israel's military campaign against Hamas, with ongoing airstrikes and ground operations. The corridor, part of a broader security zone, has led to Rafah's encirclement, causing mass evacuations and worsening humanitarian conditions. The IDF aims to weaken Hamas by dividing Gaza into sectors. The situation has drawn mixed international reactions, with concerns over civilian displacement and infrastructure destruction.

Morag Corridor: Strategic Isolation of Rafah

The Morag Corridor, named after a former Israeli settlement in Gaza, stretches between Rafah and Khan Younis and has been under construction since early April. According to the IDF, the corridor was completed over a 10-day operation led by the 36th Division, during which dozens of Hamas fighters were reportedly killed, and key tunnel networks and militant infrastructure were dismantled.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that the corridor now forms part of a broader Israeli "security zone" encompassing the area between the Philadelphi Corridor—along the Egyptian border—and the newly established Morag axis. “The IDF has now completed the takeover of the Morag axis… and makes the entire area between the Philadelphi axis and Morag part of the Israeli security zone,” Katz said in a statement.

The corridor’s completion effectively isolates Rafah, a city that had become a refuge for over one million displaced Palestinians, from the rest of Gaza. The IDF has issued repeated evacuation orders for Rafah’s residents, urging them to flee eastward or toward designated “safe zones,” though humanitarian agencies report that such areas are increasingly limited and under-resourced.

Military Operations Expand Across Gaza

The establishment of the Morag Corridor is part of a broader Israeli strategy to fragment Hamas’s operational capabilities by dividing the Gaza Strip into isolated sectors. In addition to the Morag Corridor, Israel also controls the Netzarim Corridor, which cuts off northern Gaza from the central and southern regions. Together, these corridors place more than half of Gaza’s territory under direct Israeli control.

Military operations have expanded beyond Rafah. In Gaza City, Israeli forces launched a new offensive aimed at dismantling Hamas infrastructure and consolidating control. The IDF reported the destruction of observation posts and the elimination of additional militants in the north.

Defense Minister Katz warned that the military campaign would soon intensify across “most of Gaza,” and reiterated calls for Hamas to release the remaining 59 Israeli hostages. “This is the final opportunity to dismantle Hamas, release all the hostages, and bring the war to an end,” Katz said in a televised address.

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

The isolation of Rafah has exacerbated an already catastrophic humanitarian situation. The city, once home to 350,000 residents, had swelled to over one million people following successive waves of displacement from other parts of Gaza. With the city now encircled and under heavy bombardment, residents face acute shortages of food, water, and medical supplies.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October 2023, with at least 1,500 deaths reported since the collapse of a ceasefire last month. The ministry does not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties, but rights groups say the majority of the dead are women and children.

Eyewitness accounts from Rafah describe relentless airstrikes, widespread destruction, and a population trapped between advancing front lines. “Rafah is barely breathing beneath the bombs, bulldozers, and destruction,” one resident wrote in a dispatch published by Middle East Eye.

The IDF maintains that it has provided safe corridors for civilians to evacuate combat zones, but humanitarian organizations argue that the options for safe passage are limited and that many civilians remain in harm’s way.

Strategic Objectives and International Reactions

Israel has framed the creation of the Morag Corridor as a tactical necessity to isolate Hamas brigades operating in Rafah and Khan Younis. IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani stated that the corridor is intended to “separate Hamas fighters in Rafah from Khan Younis,” thereby weakening the group’s ability to coordinate attacks and maintain supply lines.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the Morag Corridor as “a second Philadelphi Corridor,” referencing the narrow strip of land along Gaza’s border with Egypt that has been under Israeli control since May 2024. The government has also reiterated its commitment to pressuring Hamas into releasing hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 251 others.

International reactions have been mixed. While some governments have expressed support for Israel’s right to self-defense, human rights organizations have raised alarms over the scale of civilian displacement and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. The International Criminal Court has previously issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Forced Displacement and Controversial Proposals

The Israeli government has also floated controversial proposals for the “voluntary relocation” of Palestinians from Gaza. Defense Minister Katz referenced a plan, reportedly supported by former U.S. President Donald Trump, that would allow Palestinians to emigrate to third countries. The proposal has been widely condemned by Palestinian leaders and human rights groups, who argue that it amounts to forced displacement.

“Those who are interested will also be able to voluntarily move to various countries in the world in accordance with the vision of the U.S. President,” Katz said. However, no details have been provided on how such a plan would be implemented or which countries would accept refugees.

Ongoing Airstrikes and Future Operations

As of Saturday, airstrikes continued across Gaza, with the IDF targeting suspected Hamas positions in Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza City. The military has signaled that further ground operations are imminent, particularly in areas east of Khan Younis, where rocket fire toward Israel was recently reported.

The IDF’s current campaign follows the collapse of a ceasefire in March and represents a renewed push to dismantle Hamas’s military infrastructure. With the completion of the Morag Corridor and the encirclement of Rafah, Israel has taken a decisive step in its military strategy, though at a steep humanitarian cost.

References

• Israel takes control of Rafah, creating new 'security corridor' in Gaza
• Israel cuts off Rafah, issues new forced displacement orders for Gaza
• Israel military expands operations in Gaza City, encircles Rafah
• Rafah became my home after displacement. It is now being erased
• IDF establishes Morag Corridor, separating Khan Yunis and Rafah
• Israel Completes Security Corridor, Isolates Rafah City
• Israel seals Rafah, expands military grip with new 'Morag Corridor'
• Israel says new security corridor completed, severing Gaza's southernmost city
• News Wrap: Israel cuts off Rafah as it expands military activity in Gaza
• Israel aísla la ciudad sureña de Rafah en Gaza y promete extenderse “vigorosamente” en el enclave