Morag Corridor | |
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 Map of Israeli military corridors in Gaza, including the Morag Corridor. The Morag Corridor separates the Gaza Strip between Khan Yunis and Rafah, stretching northwest from Israel to the Mediterranean Sea | |
 Interactive map of Morag Corridor | |
| Coordinates:31°18′30″N34°17′17″E / 31.30833°N 34.28806°E /31.30833; 34.28806 | |
| Region | Gaza Strip |
| Fully captured | 12 April 2025 |
TheMorag Corridor is anIsraeli security corridor in the southernGaza Strip announced byPrime Minister of IsraelBenjamin Netanyahu on 2 April 2025 during a renewedoffensive againstRafah, and fully established on 12 April 2025. The security zone, named after a former Jewish settlement that once existed betweenRafah andKhan Yunis, would create a third Israeli-controlled axis dividing sections of Gaza. Netanyahu described this measure as intended to increase pressure onHamas to release remaining hostages and surrender control of the territory.[1][2][3]
The Morag Corridor's establishment was first announced byPrime Minister of IsraelBenjamin Netanyahu on 2 April 2025, following the resumption ofIsraeli attacks on the Gaza Strip after the breakdown of theceasefire implemented in January 2025. The corridor was named afterMorag, an Israeli settlement inGush Katif prior to its2005 disestablishment.[4] He stated that theIsrael Defense Forces (IDF) were "switching gears" in Gaza, with the Morag Corridor being part of plans to seize more territory and establish new security corridors. The corridors would effectively partition Gaza into separate sections with restricted travel between them.[2]
The corridor, upon completion, would join two existing Israeli-controlled security zones in Gaza: thePhiladelphi Corridor along Gaza's southern border withEgypt under Israeli control since May 2024, and theNetzarim Corridor separatingnorthern Gaza andGaza City from the rest of the territory.[1] Netanyahu described the Morag Corridor as "the second Philadelphi, an additional Philadelphi Corridor".[2]
The third corridor would effectively separateRafah, Gaza's southernmost city, from thecentral parts of the Gaza Strip. According to Netanyahu's statement, this strategic division aims to "cut up the strip" and intensify pressure onHamas until they release all remainingIsraeli hostages, disarm, and leave Gaza. In his announcement, he directly connected the establishment of the corridor to hostage negotiations, stating it was intended to increase leverage against Hamas.[1][5]
Defense MinisterIsrael Katz further indicated that Israel intended to seize "large areas" to incorporate into these security zones. He separately demanded that residents of Gaza "expel Hamas and return all the hostages," describing this as "the only way to end the war."[1]
On 12 April, the Israeli Defense Forces announced the full takeover of the corridor by theGolani Infantry Brigade and the36th Division’s188th Armored Brigade, and ordered the complete evacuation of several neighborhoods in Rafah toal-Mawasi. Engineering teams began building a road extending through the corridor. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the corridor's establishment resulted in Rafah becoming an “Israeli security zone”, establishing a southern buffer zone extending from the Philadelphi Corridor to Khan Yunis and covering roughly 20% of the Gaza Strip.[3][6]
FormerCoordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Eitan Dangot suggested the Morag Corridor's seizure could represent the beginning of a division of Gaza into three sections for Israeli control. He characterized the approach as enabling "closed control" by IDF forces, preventing movement between areas and allowing Israel to maintain "full control of traffic that will be allowed to enter and to cross," includinghumanitarian aid. He further characterized the corridor as a possible "political decision" meant to show right-wing extremist government members that Israel would re-establish its presence in settlements that had beendismantled.[2]
Former Head of the Civil Department for the COGAT ColonelGrisha Yakubovich posited that the IDF might intend extend a buffer zone in southern Gaza while evacuating the population of Rafah, with the stated goal of protecting nearby Israeli communities.[2]
ThePalestinian Authority, Hamas's political rival which governs theWest Bank, expressed "complete rejection" towards the corridor, while also calling for Hamas to relinquish power in Gaza.[1]
Hamas has maintained that it would only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a comprehensive agreement including the release ofPalestinian prisoners, a permanent ceasefire, and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Hamas rejected demands to disarm or leave the territory.[1]
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