Key Points:
- Location: Journalists were escorted to Rafah, Gaza’s southern city, and the Philadelphi corridor along Egypt’s border.
- Strategic Importance: Netanyahu insists on Israeli control of the Philadelphi corridor, a demand rejected by Hamas and Egypt.
- Destruction: The area is marked by rubble, flattened buildings, and tunnels used by Hamas for weapon smuggling.
- Tunnel Discovery: Israeli forces found tunnels beneath homes, including one where six Israeli hostages were found dead.
- Displacement: Over 1.4 million Palestinians have fled the Rafah area due to the Israeli offensive.
- Journalistic Access: International reporters have limited access to Gaza, making this tour a rare insight.
Inside Gaza’s Conflict: Rafah and the Philadelphi Corridor
In a rare, military-escorted tour of Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, journalists were offered a firsthand look at the destruction caused by ongoing conflict. The tour included a visit to the Philadelphi corridor, a contentious strip of land bordering Egypt. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted on retaining control of the corridor as part of any ceasefire agreement, a demand rejected by both Hamas and Egypt.
The corridor, previously devastated by the conflict, now features a freshly paved road. However, large areas remain marked by rubble and flattened buildings, highlighting the extensive damage. The skyline of Rafah is largely destroyed, and on the Egyptian side, the vast expanse of the Sinai Desert is visible.
The Israeli military has uncovered multiple tunnels in the Philadelphi corridor, which they claim were used by Hamas to smuggle weapons. Although Egypt asserts that it sealed the tunnels on its side years ago, Israel insists that new discoveries are proof of continued militant activity.
In Tel el-Sultan, a district within Rafah, the landscape is defined by the wreckage of homes and buildings destroyed during months of fighting. The Israeli military revealed the existence of a Hamas tunnel under one of the homes, where six Israeli hostages were recently found dead. Troops discovered the tunnel by chance during operations, nearly falling into the entrance with a bulldozer.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, stated that efforts are ongoing to identify and capture the militants responsible for the killings. The Rafah offensive has displaced over 1.4 million Palestinians, many of whom are now scattered across southern and central Gaza.
International journalists have been barred from entering Gaza independently since the Hamas attack on October 7, which triggered the current war. This tour provided a limited but stark insight into the ongoing conflict and its devastating effects on the local population and infrastructure.
