Israeli forces have occupied the entire Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip, effectively establishing control over the land border of Palestine, according to a report by Reuters on Thursday. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have taken strategic control of the border area known as the Philadelphia Corridor, as announced by IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari on Wednesday.

The Israeli Defense Ministry released a video showing army operations in Rafah near the Egyptian border, which Hagari claims depicts operations targeting various Hamas bases and tunnels. The IDF has reportedly discovered 20 Hamas tunnels in the area over the past 10 days, with connections extending into Egypt.

Despite a ban by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israeli forces continue to conduct operations in Rafah, a city home to half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents. The ICJ has not provided guidance on how Israel should ensure the safety of Rafah's civilians, but it has called for the release of Israeli citizens taken hostage by Hamas on October 7.