​​​​​​​JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL 

The Israeli army has completed paving half of the Morag Axis, a route separating the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis in southern Gaza, local media said on Tuesday.

The Morag Axis, a strategic corridor separating the two southern cities, has become the latest flashpoint in Israel’s ongoing brutal military campaign on the Gaza Strip.

On April 14, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the army seized control of the Morag Axis, effectively expanding its control over southern Gaza.

Israel’s Army Radio likened the Morag Axis to the Netzarim Axis, which separates northern Gaza from the rest of the enclave.

"The Morag Axis is beginning to look like the Netzarim Axis. Out of the 12 kilometers, 6 kilometers have already been paved," the radio said.

A video published by the radio on X shows that the road forming the Morag Axis is still an unpaved dirt path rather than an asphalted road.

“The Morag Axis is now entirely under Israeli military control, stretching from Sufa (in Rafah) to the sea," the broadcaster said.

The Israeli army has installed watchtowers along the corridor, which are visible from a distance. The next task is to expand the route, the radio said.

"In some areas, at a distance of 300 meters, the Morag Axis has reached a width of up to 2 kilometers. The expansion is progressing southward toward Rafah but has not yet reached Khan Younis in the north."

On Monday, the Israeli news outlet Walla, citing unnamed military sources, reported that the Israeli army began expanding its control in northern Gaza in preparation for a future maneuver to divide Gaza City into two. The report stated that the army is nearing control of approximately 40% of the territory of the Gaza Strip.

According to the sources, the Israeli army is simultaneously conducting demolitions and building explosions across the enclave, with a particular focus on the northern border, the Morag and Netzarim axes, and the city of Rafah.

Phased expansion

The Army Radio said that no ground operations, however, have been conducted in Khan Younis, particularly its southern part.

“Military commanders acknowledge that the current operation is limited, and they say additional expansion phases are planned," it added.

According to the radio, the operation is not only to tighten the noose on Hamas, but also to seize land in Gaza.

The Israeli government claims that its increased attacks in Gaza aim to compel Hamas to accept Israeli terms for a prisoner exchange and ceasefire agreement.

However, families of the Israeli hostages argue that the military pressure has not led to the return of a single captive since the start of the war. They assert that the true objective of the assault, according to officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, is land seizure.

Since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza’s crossings, blocking essential supplies from entering the enclave despite multiple reports of famine in the war-devastated territory.

The Israeli army resumed its assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a Jan. 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

Israel has killed more than 51,200 Palestinians in the enclave since October 2023, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.