Israel Regains Control of Netzarim Corridor, Threatening Palestinian Refugees

DEIR AL-BALAH, THURSDAY - After bombing various parts of Gaza, Israel has once again deployed troops in the area. Israeli forces are now stationed in the Netzarim Corridor, which divides southern and northern Gaza.

Israel announced the re-occupation on Wednesday (18/3/2025) night. Israeli occupation forces will also continue to be sent until they reach Rafah.

Israel withdrew its troops from Gaza in accordance with the ceasefire from January 19 to March 1, 2025. During the ceasefire, Israel repeatedly attacked Gaza. Then, on Tuesday-Wednesday this week, Israel bombed various parts of Gaza.

Al Jazeera media, Thursday (20/3/2025), reported that as part of the Phase I ceasefire agreement, Israel withdrew its troops from the Netzarim corridor. This corridor served as an Israeli military zone, while also dividing the Gaza Strip into northern and southern Gaza.

During the first phase of the ceasefire, Palestinian residents in southern Gaza were allowed to travel to the northern part of the Gaza Strip to meet remaining family members. Similarly, residents in the northern Gaza Strip could travel to central Gaza. Humanitarian aid also increased significantly in entering the Gaza Strip.

With the recapture of the Netzarim Corridor, Palestinian refugees are unable to return to their homes. Alongside the stalled ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, the reappearance of Israeli military forces in the corridor is considered equivalent to a ground invasion.

This was clarified in a statement by the Israeli military. The Israeli military, or Tzahal, stated that the reoccupation of the Netzarim Corridor would serve as a starting point or launch point for occupation forces to carry out military operations in the area.

The corridor was newly created by Israel after it began attacking and destroying Gaza in October 2023. Stretching six kilometers from the sea to the Israel-Gaza border, the corridor occupies a key area of Gaza.

Israel's action of reclaiming control over the Netzarim Corridor is also considered a reoccupation of Palestinian territory. This action by Israel will once again lead to further displacement and isolation between the two parts of the Gaza Strip.

Israel Katz, Israel's Defense Minister, warned on Wednesday (19/3/2025) that the attack was a step to pressure Hamas to release Israeli hostages and hand over control of Gaza. He also said that Israel was preparing to increase its new attacks.

“If the (Israeli) hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are not released, Israel will act with an intensity you have never seen,” Katz stressed.

Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanou said the Israeli military's actions in Gaza were a clear sign that Israel had withdrawn from the ceasefire and reimposed a siege or "blockade."

Hamas has reportedly not responded to Israel's attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday. But Israel's actions threaten to drag Hamas and Israel back into all-out war.

In Israel, the resumption of airstrikes by Israel has raised concerns about the fate of some two dozen hostages still held by Hamas. They are believed to be alive.

Thousands of Israelis took part in anti-government demonstrations in Jerusalem, calling for a deal to bring the prisoners home.

Ori Goldberg, an Israeli political analyst, told Al Jazeera that Israel’s latest escalation in Gaza is driven by domestic political considerations but lacks a long-term strategy. “I don’t think Netanyahu is calculating, I think Netanyahu is committed to actions that speak of constant escalation, and I think this is the next step,” Goldberg said.

“This is no different than anything Israel has done, and there is no merit or prior consideration in this move other than the move itself. Israel needs to be seen as active. I think that is what is uppermost in the prime minister’s mind,” Goldberg added.

Goldberg added that any Israeli talk of defeating Hamas is a fantasy. “There is no real chance of defeating Hamas. It’s basically a game of chicken, and both sides are waiting for an external intervention to stop them from going down this path, which is clearly not productive for either of them,” he said.

“As far as Israel is concerned, this is a claim that is based on rhetoric and domestic political considerations. What it is about is turning back the clock and pretending that the last month and a half didn’t happen,” Goldberg added.

Goldberg’s view is in line with the thinking of HA Hellyer, a political analyst at the Royal United Services Institute in London and the Center for American Progress in Washington DC. “A renewed Israeli offensive into Gaza will not defeat Hamas in the same way that 16 months of war failed to do so,” Hellyer said.

“I think what you’re seeing with these different recommitments of ground forces is Tel Aviv’s desire to turn back the clock on the last month or so,” Hellyer told Al Jazeera.

Hellyer added that with the recapture of the Netzarim Corridor, all parties will see the Netzarim Corridor as a military area again. “You will see Palestinians being forced to move from the north back to the south,” he explained.

But, he added, the only thing that could significantly change the dynamics on the ground is a political solution, which Israel apparently does not want.

“If there is going to be an alternative to Hamas in Gaza, it will not be because of Israeli bombing. It will be because of a political alternative that will take over. And so far, Israel’s position has been to veto that alternative,” Hellyer said.

Meanwhile, as Israel's attacks on Gaza escalate, the United Nations (UN) found seven Israeli activities in southern Lebanon. These Israeli military activities violate UN resolutions.

UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq said the activity took place north of Israel, a UN-demarcated area between Israel and Lebanon. A 2006 UN Security Council resolution requires Israeli forces to remain south of the boundary known as the Blue Line.

The UN peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, reiterated its call for Israel to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon so that Lebanese troops can be deployed throughout the region, Haq said.

In other incidents, Haq said, UNIFIL forces found rocket launchers, rocket-propelled grenades and other unlicensed weapons and ammunition in seven different locations in southern Lebanon. “All these discoveries were reported to the Lebanese Army for further action,” Haq said.

In addition, on Wednesday morning local time, Israel also attacked the northern Gaza Strip. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 17 people were killed.

The number adds to the death toll of Gazans who were previously killed by Israeli attacks on Tuesday morning. In Tuesday morning's airstrikes, more than 400 people were killed and 678 were injured.

Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron, when receiving Jordan's King Abdullah II in a joint statement to France, called for an immediate end to the Israel-Hamas hostilities. The two also called for an immediate resumption of negotiations, including with the US administration, towards a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages.

The two leaders also hoped that Israel would allow humanitarian aid to re-enter Gaza, as well as restore access to water and electricity in the Palestinian territory. (AP)