FALCON POWERS – The Israeli army has extended its control over half of the Philadelphia Axis, starting from the Kerem Shalom crossing in the east, which marks the beginning of the Palestinian-Egyptian border, all the way to the El-Brazil neighborhood in the middle of the axis, stretching approximately 13 kilometers westward. The Israeli control now covers a distance of six kilometers.
The area is witnessing armed clashes between Palestinian resistance groups and Israeli forces in the vicinity of the Philadelphia Axis, such as the neighborhoods of Al-Salam and Al-Brazil, as well as the Rafah crossing area. The occupation forces are now present in the border area overlooking the center of Rafah City, near the border with Egypt. This means that Israeli forces now control the central areas of Rafah, with their fire reaching from the border area towards the north.
Eyewitnesses and sources in Rafah reported to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Israeli tanks have reached the vicinity of the Al-Za’im Stadium and the Collective Club, as well as the outskirts of the Salah al-Din Gate area. These locations are all adjacent to the border strip known as the Philadelphia Axis. Israeli machinery is conducting excavations in search of tunnels that the occupation claims exist between Palestinian Rafah and Sinai.
The sources also indicated that the occupation forces have detonated a number of old excavations dating back to tunnels that were operational before 2013. They have also demolished some locations along the border strip, as well as certain military points that were under the control of the Palestinian National Security.
All these operations took place near the Egyptian military forces, which are still present on the border strip. The Egyptian army monitors the military vehicles deployed along the border and the ongoing Israeli movements that extend along the border from the Kerem Shalom crossing to the Al-Brazil neighborhood.
The sources mentioned that the Israeli warplanes have carried out several airstrikes in the area as a prelude to the passage of ground forces. The Israeli flag has been raised in several areas along the Philadelphia Axis, in addition to Israeli flags displayed on the military vehicles penetrating the area.
On the Egyptian side, tribal sources confirmed that the Egyptian army has mobilized multiple times over the past two weeks by deploying new military forces to the area. They have also conducted helicopter flights over the Philadelphia Axis area and the Egyptian city of Rafah, and reinforced the border guard forces deployed along the border between Gaza and Sinai.
In response to these developments, Palestinian military expert Brigadier General Wasif Ariqat believes that the invasion of the Rafah crossing began with what he called a limited operation to appease Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, as well as the families of the deceased soldiers who demanded an immediate invasion of Rafah. Ariqat added, in a statement to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, that this was followed by a stage of testing the military strength, using force and negotiating through firepower while monitoring reactions and pressures. Subsequently, the War Council, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a decision to expand the invasion simultaneously with orders for more than 110,000 Palestinians living east of the Gaza Strip to evacuate to targeted areas. This signifies the beginning of an incremental process of annexation, further ethnic cleansing, displacement, massacres, and war crimes.
He pointed out that there are multiple possible scenarios, depending on the level of pressure, reactions, and the army’s ability to withstand consequences and losses. Netanyahu stands at a crossroads, either managing a retreat for negotiations and continuing the invasion for the coming months, gradually expanding it through incremental annexation. This would entail further genocide, displacement of Palestinians, losses in the army, increased solidarity with Palestinians, and criticism of Israel. Alternatively, he could come to the realization that the war is futile and reach a dead end, as announced by the War Council. This would mean acknowledging the persistence of resistance and the absence of magical solutions, leading to a ceasefire and negotiations.
On the other hand, Palestinian military expert Brigadier General Yusuf Al-Sharqawi stated that the occupation of a large part of the Philadelphia Axis means separating the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Occupying the Philadelphia Axis up to the Salah al-Din Gate in coordination with Egypt implies digging a deep trench along the Egyptian border to uncover tunnels entering and exiting the Gaza Strip, as claimed, according to an interview with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
