Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Israel Katz visited the Netzarim Corridor in Gaza on November 19. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) took control of the corridor in November 2023, when its ground offensive cut off Gaza City from central Gaza. The trip by Netanyahu and Israel’s new defense minister spotlights how secure this area has become after a year in which the IDF has worked to solidify its control.
Accompanying Netanyahu and Katz were IDF Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi and Ronen Bar, director of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet). Israeli media reported that Bar recently traveled to Turkey in the wake of reports Hamas leaders had moved there after leaving Qatar. According to The Times of Israel, he was in Turkey to discuss restarting hostage-deal talks.
During his visit to the Netzarim Corridor, Netanyahu was briefed by the head of IDF Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, and the commander of the IDF’s 99th Division, Yoav Broner. The 99th Division is one of several divisions that have rotated in and out of the corridor every several months. The IDF controls Netzarim with a division that usually includes one reserve armored brigade and one reserve infantry brigade. Netanyahu and Katz both spoke with the reserve brigade commanders in the corridor. “Hamas will not rule in Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “We are eliminating its military capabilities in very impressive fashion. We are moving on to its governing abilities, and we are not yet done. Hamas will not be in Gaza.”
The Israeli leader also vowed to locate and bring back the 101 hostages still held in Gaza. Some of these individuals have been killed since October 7, 2023, but Israel describes both the living and dead as hostages. “I want to say to those who are holding our hostages: Whoever dares to harm our hostages—will pay the price. We will pursue you and we will find you,” Netanyahu said. He offered a $5 million reward for each hostage turned over by Gazans.
The relative security of the corridor that enabled the prime minister’s visit reflects the current pace of Israel’s operations, which have transitioned to a low-intensity conflict recently in most of Gaza. The IDF is only carrying out major operations in northern Gaza. In Jabaliya, the IDF’s 162nd Division has eliminated more than 1,000 terrorists and detained around 1,000 suspected terrorists since early October. However, Hamas and other terrorist groups continue to kill Israeli soldiers. Two soldiers from the Kfir Brigade were killed in northern Gaza, according to IDF statements on November 16 and November 20. Another soldier from the Givati Brigade was severely injured, the IDF said on November 20.
The IDF said that the Kfir Brigade’s combat team has been operating around Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza. I drove near this area earlier this month with Israeli forces during a trip to Jabaliya, and it appeared relatively quiet. Nevertheless, combat there is still ongoing. “The troops eliminated dozens of terrorists in close-quarters encounters and through targeted strikes. Additionally, the troops uncovered underground tunnel shafts and located large stockpiles of weapons,” the IDF said. The IDF noted that seven soldiers have fallen in combat in the area in the last two weeks.
During a visit to Jabaliya, the head of the Israeli Air Force, Major General Tomer Bar, emphasized the close cooperation between air and ground forces. Bar met with Brigadier General Itzik Cohen, head of the 162nd Division, and Colonel Liron Batito, commander of the Givati Brigade.
“For over a year, we have been fighting across the entirety of Gaza, constantly supported by the personnel of the Israeli Air Force from above. Together, we’ve learned how to complete operational tasks effectively, powerfully strike the enemy, and dominate every area we reach,” Cohen said. He noted the close air support Israeli tanks and infantry have had in Jabaliya. Jabaliya is a complex urban environment with a built-up area around a refugee camp and multi-story buildings that spill out over hills northeast of Gaza City. It has taken the IDF a month and a half to clear Jabaliya of Hamas.
The IDF is conducting additional operations in Gaza and announced on November 16 that it had carried strikes on terror targets without specifying how many. In one strike announced on November 15, the Israeli Air Force eliminated Alkaman Abd as-Salam Khalil Anbar, who it said was “responsible for fire support in the Islamic Jihad’s Gaza City Brigade. He was eliminated alongside other Islamic Jihad terrorists who fired rockets toward the State of Israel and IDF troops.”
