In a significant move intensifying its military presence in Gaza, Israel has unveiled a newly constructed security corridor that cuts through the southern city of Khan Younis, effectively dividing it into two.
The Israel Defense Forces, IDF, announced on Wednesday that the 15-kilometre-long “Magen Oz Corridor” will serve as a strategic buffer between the eastern and western zones of the city, which has been a hotspot in the ongoing conflict.
Drone imagery shared by the IDF depicted the vast corridor slicing across the urban terrain of Gaza’s second-largest city.
Military officials stated that the corridor forms part of Israel’s wider strategy to exert operational pressure on Hamas, the Palestinian militant group entrenched in the region. The corridor, they said, is a “key component” in achieving what they described as a “decisive defeat” of Hamas.
The Magen Oz Corridor connects with the previously established Morag Corridor, which already separates Khan Younis from Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city bordering Egypt.
These two military routes, taken together, now form a crosscutting network of Israeli-controlled lines of movement, altering the geographical and political dynamics of the southern Gaza Strip.
According to Israeli media outlet Ynet, the new corridor may serve dual purposes — both military and political — potentially acting as a bargaining chip in the ongoing truce and hostage negotiations with Hamas.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been quoted as saying that dividing the territory physically enhances Israel’s negotiating power, and he has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to continue applying such pressure tactics until all Israeli hostages are released.
Israeli officials have also indicated that even in the event of a ceasefire, the IDF would maintain a significant presence in southern Gaza, including operational control over these corridors.
This condition remains a major sticking point in negotiations, as Hamas insists on a full Israeli withdrawal to pre-conflict positions, particularly those prior to the March 2025 collapse of a short-lived truce.
Beyond the south, Israel continues to maintain control over the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza — another military access route that has long divided the Gaza Strip into northern and southern sections. These corridors are widely seen as a method of disrupting Hamas’ territorial cohesion and complicating their operational logistics.
Critics argue that the creation of such corridors, while possibly effective in counter-insurgency operations, further fragments Gaza and deepens the humanitarian crisis. Civilians in Khan Younis now find themselves restricted by physical and military barriers that severely limit movement, access to aid, and essential services.
As ceasefire talks remain stalled and international pressure builds for both sides to agree on a roadmap to peace, the creation of the Magen Oz Corridor may further complicate negotiations and prolong hostilities.
NAN
