Israel recently achieved "operational control" over the Philadelphi Corridor , the land border between Gaza and Egypt from the Gaza side, a potentially significant military maneuver in its effort to defeat Hamas. The buffer zone is about nine miles long and several hundred yards wide and extends the length of Gaza's southern border from the Mediterranean Sea to the Kerem Shalom border crossing, which is near where Gaza's, Egypt's , and Israel's boundaries meet. Israeli forces have uncovered roughly 20 tunnels that cross from Gaza into Egypt, Rear Adm.
Daniel Hagari, Israel Defense Forces spokesman, said on Wednesday, which Hamas has been accused of using to smuggle weapons, goods, and people into and out of the strip undetected. 'Hotbed of terror' Hagari said Hamas turned the Philadelphi Corridor into a "central Hamas hotbed of terror." "We also found a subterranean tunnel system near the border with Egypt.
We found 13 kilometers of Hamas's underground tunnel network and around 20 Hamas tunnels that Hamas built intentionally next to the border with Egypt underneath Rafah as a part of Hamas's human shield strategy," he said. "Inside the tunnels, we found dozens of weapons including anti-tank missiles, AK-47s, explosives, and grenades. Our forces are operating to dismantle the Rafah brigade.
" Israeli forces have killed about 300 Hamas fighters in Rafah so far, some of whom were hiding in the tunnels, Hagari noted. Israel's control over the Philadelphi Corridor could increase te.