Falcon powers – After about a month and a half since the start of the ground operation in the Rafah area, the Israeli army said this week that it had taken control of the Philadelphi Corridor and had located 200 tunnel openings and 35 tunnels, some of which crossed into Egypt. An Israeli military official told The Washington Post that there are still about 20 tunnels in the area that have not been located.
The official spoke to the American newspaper about the operation in the Philadelphi Corridor area, which separates Egypt from the southern Gaza Strip, and explained that before the implementation phase begins, Israeli officials contact their counterparts in Cairo in order to avoid reaching the area.
He also said that the fighting against Hamas battalions in Rafah is “more intense than other areas of the Gaza Strip, including the city of Gaza”, explaining that this is due to Hamas’ preparations.
According to him, “The Hamas battalions in the southern Gaza Strip had several months to prepare for the fighting. They have learned the lessons from the tactics of the Israeli army in other parts of the Gaza Strip.”
He said that the upcoming attacks will focus on the fourth battalion of Hamas. The source added that “the army attacked many targets in the Rafah area and destroyed about 40 kilometers of underground infrastructure.”
