Israel’s National Security Council head, Tzachi Hanegbi, announced that combat in Gaza is expected to continue for another seven months.
The IDF announced that it has gained “operational control” over the entire Philadelphi Corridor, a crucial 14-kilometer stretch along the Gaza-Egypt border. IDF troops are present in most parts of the corridor, with surveillance and firepower monitoring a small coastal section. The IDF discovered around 20 tunnels crossing into Egypt, previously used by Hamas to smuggle weapons into Gaza.
The IDF also identified 82 tunnel shafts and numerous rocket launchers along the corridor, marking a significant strategic achievement in cutting off Hamas’s supply lines.
The IDF released the names of three soldiers from the Nahal Brigade who fell in battle in the Gaza Strip. The IDF confirmed the tragedy Wednesday. This includes:
- Sergeant Amir Galilove, 20, from Shamshiit
- Sergeant Uri Bar Or, 21, from Midrash Ben Gurion
- Sergeant Ido Appel, 21, from Tzofar
They were all fighters in the 50th Battalion and fell in Rafah. In the same incident, three additional soldiers were wounded, two seriously and one moderately.
An initial IDF investigation indicates that the soldiers were killed by an explosion in a booby-trapped building. This brings the military death toll to 291 since the start of the ground operation in Gaza.
