The Israeli army says it has surrounded the southern Gaza city of Rafah

Israel issued a statement on Saturday (April 12) saying that in the past day, the 36th Division of the Israeli Army has taken control of the "Morag corridor" in the southern Gaza Strip, cutting off the communication between the Hamas Rafa Brigade and the Khan Younis Brigade, and effectively completing the siege of the southern city of Rafah.

"The IDF has now taken over the Morag corridor between Rafah and Khan Younis, making the entire area between the Philadelphia Corridor and the Morag Corridor a security zone for Israel," Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement, CCTV news reported.

In a statement to Gaza residents, he said, "The IDF operation will soon escalate and expand to other areas of Gaza, and you must withdraw from the fighting zone."

Over the past week, the Israeli army has killed several Palestinian militants in the Morag corridor, dismantled underground tunnels and military facilities, and completed the siege of Rafah.

Currently, the 36th Division controls the Morag Corridor, while the Gaza Division operates in the Philadelphia Corridor.

It is reported that the Israeli army will move into Rafah next, targeting the remaining Hamas fighters there. About two weeks ago, the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning to civilians in Rafah.

The Israeli military statement said that the buffer zone in southern Gaza will eventually be extended from the Egyptian border to the outskirts of Khan Younis, a total of more than 5 kilometers, and include the entire city of Rafah. The buffer zone covers about 20 percent of Gaza. In addition, the Israeli military's buffer zone along most of the rest of the Gaza border has been expanded from several hundred meters to about two kilometers.