The Israeli military claims it has “operational control’ over the entire Philadelphi Corridor, which extends for a total distance of 14,7 kilometers along the Gaza-Egypt Border.

IDF troops have a physical presence in the majority of the corridor. The IDF claims to control the area using surveillance and firepower in a small area near the coast.

IDF found 20 tunnels in Egypt along the corridor adjacent to Rafah. Hamas is known to have used such tunnels for smuggling weapons into Gaza.

IDF believes that Hamas cannot smuggle weapons into Egypt anymore, since the military now controls the area.

IDF already knew about some of these tunnels, while others were only discovered recently. Israel and Egypt have been keeping each other informed about the progress.

According to the military, another 82 tunnels shafts were located in the Philadelphi Corridor.

There were also dozens of rocket launchers along the corridor. Some were only a few meters away from the border with Egypt. IDF believes Hamas placed the rocket launchers on the corridor to try and prevent Israel from hitting them. They thought Israel would be afraid of overshooting the border into Egypt.