Israeli Tanks Roll In To Surround Gaza

Hamas weapon smuggling tunnels found near Egypt border, IDF claims

- Mark Reynolds

ISRAEL is now in control of the entire land border of Gaza after tanks secured a key zone, it was reported yesterday.

Troops took an area along the Gaza-Egypt border known as the Philadelphi Corridor, amid a series of ongoing deadly raids into the southern city of Rafah.

The Israel Defence Forces claimed around 20 tunnels used by Hamas to smuggle weapons into Gaza had been found within the zone.

The claim was angrily dismissed by Egyptian authorities.

IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: "In recent days, IDF troops established operational control on the Philadelphi Corridor, on the border between Egypt and Rafah."

He described the corridor as a "lifeline" for Hamas, through which the terror group "regularly smuggled weapons into the Gaza Strip".