Israel declares “tactical control” over Gaza's strategic corridor bordering Egypt
The Israeli military said Wednesday evening it had taken "tactical control" over the Philadelphia Corridor - a sensitive strip of Gaza along the border with Egypt - in a move that could further strain Israel's already strained ties with Cairo.Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said the area was "Hamas's oxygen pipe" and had been used by the Palestinian armed group to "regularly smuggle ammunition into Gaza territory." He said Hamas had also built tunnels near the Egyptian border, calculating that Israel would not dare strike so close to Egyptian territory.Israeli officials said seizing the narrow area, about 9 miles long, is crucial to preventing Hamas from rearming itself through cross-border smuggling. “It must be in our hands; it must be closed,” Israe...