Israel stretches control of Gaza's land border

By Nathan Morely

The Israeli army has taken control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of territory running along the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.

Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defence Forces said the corridor was being used by Hamas to traffic weapons into Gaza.

Israeli forces reportedly located around 20 tunnels. The corridor, which runs for 14 kilometers in length was instituted following the return of the Sinai Peninsula from Israel to Egypt in 1982, as agreed by the peace terms between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Israel's National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi has said that the ongoing conflict will likely continue for the rest of this year.

Elsewhere, over 50 United Nations experts have condemned Israel's airstrikes in Rafah. They also called for unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza, and an end to the blockade.