Israel's strategic move: a military operation to control Gaza's southern border

Israel has informed Egypt that it intends to launch a military operation to take control of the southern border of the Gaza Strip, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing Israeli and Egyptian officials.

According to the sources, as a result of these actions, Israel plans to take control of a checkpoint in Rafah and station forces along the Philadelphia Corridor, which separates Egypt from Gaza.

"The Philadelphia corridor must be in our hands; it must be closed. It is clear that no other agreement guarantees the disarmament we want," the report recalled the statement made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the end of last year.

Examining the implications, disarmament goals, and potential challenges in the Israel-Egypt dynamics

The Wall Street Journal indicates that the operation will likely include the deployment of Israeli forces from the southeastern tip of Gaza, bordering Israel and Egypt, towards the Mediterranean Sea, approximately 13 kilometers to the northwest.

"The regaining control of this border region by Israel would enable it to block Hamas tunnels, limit the flow of weapons, prevent militants from escaping the Gaza Strip, and remove any control the group has over the Rafah crossing," the newspaper explains.

Journalists emphasized that such a development would invalidate the symbol of Palestinian sovereignty for Palestinians in Gaza.

The report added that Egypt is concerned that Israel's operation could violate the terms of the 1979 peace treaty between the two countries, which places limits on the number of troops that can be stationed near their borders in the region.

"Egypt rejected Israel's offer for joint patrols on the Egyptian side of the border, stressing that it was working to install barriers and increase surveillance in the area"
The Wall Street Journal added.