IDF withdraws from Netzarim Corridor, bolsters Gaza border

The IDF began to withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor in late January, enabling the return of displaced Gaza residents to the northern Strip.

By JNS

The Israel Defense Forces redeployed from the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza to outposts along the perimeter of the Strip as part of the implementation of the hostages-terrorists swap agreement with Hamas.

“Forces from 162nd Division, 143rd Division and 99th Division under the Southern Command have been deployed at several points in the Gaza Strip region to strengthen the defensive layer for the residents of the western Negev and the State of Israel,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said on Friday.

Senior officers of the IDF’s Southern Command held a field assessment along with fighters on the ground in anticipation of the next phase of the release of the Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip, the military said.

The IDF began to withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor in late January, enabling the return of displaced Gaza residents to the northern Strip.

Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized that Israel will continue to strictly enforce the ceasefires, both with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, warning that any violation will be met with a strong response.

Meanwhile, Gazan residents have been cautioned against approaching IDF troops, including near the Rafah Crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egyptian border.

On Wednesday, IDF fighters fired on suspects who posed a threat to them in several parts of the Gaza Strip, the army said.

In one instance in southern Gaza, soldiers identified suspects and fired warning shots to distance them. After the suspects continued advancing toward the troops, the troops fired “additional shots to remove the threat.”