Israel’s military said on 16 July that forces from the 36th Division, including the 188th Armored and Golani brigades, have completed the 15-kilometre “Magen Oz” corridor in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza. The east-to-west route bisects the territory’s second-largest city, physically separating its eastern and western sectors. The Israel Defense Forces described the new axis as a “key component” in pressuring Hamas and in the campaign to dismantle the group’s Khan Younis Brigade. According to the IDF, troops operating along the route in recent weeks destroyed weapons depots, underground tunnels and other militant infrastructure, and killed dozens of fighters. Magen Oz is the fourth such corridor Israel has created in Gaza since the war began in 2023, following the Netzarim, Philadelphi and Morag routes. The move comes as indirect negotiations over a cease-fire and hostage release remain stalled, and as aid agencies warn that tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians are sheltering in the coastal areas now cut off from the city’s east.