Israel Facts by an Israeli: What Rafah City, Gaza Means To The IDF and To Turkey

Nadene Goldfoot

Trucks carrying food and aid from Turkey on November 15, 2025 at Rafah.

An IDF officer was lightly wounded today when an explosive device was detonated against an armored vehicle during operations in Rafah. What would they be looking for? A grenade?

A hand grenade attacked to a Styrofoam airplane was found near Route 234 in southern Israel this afternoon. Sappers closed the road at the Re’im Junction, adjacent to the Gaza Strip, to defuse the explosive device, according to a report on Channel 13 on March 17, 2025.

The IDF is examining whether the device was newly planted in recent days or left behind earlier in the war. Prime Minister Netanyahu warned that, “Israel will respond accordingly," and that Hamas' refusal to disarm is an ongoing violation of the ceasefire agreement.

The southern Gaza city of Rafah sits strategically along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and has become a major focal point during Israel's defensive war against Hamas.

Here is what to know about the strategic importance of Rafah, Israel’s operation, and the future of the Israel-Hamas war.

The latest updates from April 3, 2025:

Driving the news: Israel has launched a major ground offensive in Rafah, aiming to cut off the city from the rest of Gaza and pressure Hamas into releasing hostages. Israeli forces have seized the "Morag Corridor," a new security zone south of Khan Younis, and intensified airstrikes across Gaza.

Why it matters: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israeli forces are establishing a new security corridor in southern Gaza that would effectively separate Rafah from the rest of the Strip, describing it as a "second Philadelphi" corridor in order to increase pressure on Hamas to release hostages. The Philadelphi Corridor is a narrow strip of land separating Egypt from Gaza.

Hamas has used the border with Egypt as its main smuggling route to bring in weapons and goods to further its war efforts.

A ship from Istanbul, Turkey

Global Flotilla from Turkey wanting to break Israel's blockade

The Mavi Marmara incident of 2010 or more recent humanitarian efforts like the 2025 Global Sumud Flotilla, where ships departing from Turkish waters or with Turkish support attempted to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza.

No, vessels organized by Turkish groups have not successfully broken Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip since 2010. All such attempts, including those originating from Turkey, have been intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters.

Israel has maintained that its presence in the region is key to dismantling Hamas and prevent it from rearming. The announcement comes amid the IDF's renewed efforts in Gaza, with an additional division being deployed to southern Gaza alongside intense airstrikes and preparations for a substantial ground operation into the area.

Hakan Fidan (born on 17 July 1968) is a Turkish politician currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs since June 2023.

iranian President Pezeshkian; and Head of Palestine June 30, 2024; the meeting between the newly-elected Iranian president and a high-ranking Palestinian leader that took place on July 30, 2024. This meeting was with Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, just hours before his assassination.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met on Wednesday in Ankara with a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas’ Political Bureau, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Khalil al-Hayya

Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Hamas political bureau officials in Ankara Wednesday to discuss the ceasefire in Gaza and advancing the agreement to its second phase. His tenure saw a shift from a security cooperation with Israel and the United States towards one with Iran most notably Qasem Soleimani, the leader of the Al Quds division.

Then there is the count from Turkey alone ! Since October 7, 2023, Turkey has provided over 101,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza, coordinated primarily by its state agency AFAD and the Turkish Red Crescent. This substantial aid has been delivered via 16 ships, 14 aircraft, and hundreds of trucks through border crossings in Egypt. Turkish non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have also contributed significantly to the aid efforts, operating independently and in coordination with AFAD (Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (government/aid), depending on the context.) to provide daily meals, water, and medical support to the population in Gaza.

Hamas claimed that they have already fulfilled their obligations AND complained that not enough humanitarian aid was entering Gaza.

Israeli claims: COGAT, the Israeli military agency coordinating aid, stated in mid-December 2025 that roughly 25,700 total trucks of aid have entered Gaza since the October 2025 ceasefire began, with 18,000 of those being food aid. They claim between 600 and 800 trucks have been entering daily since the truce.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Aid deliveries into Gaza are falling far short of the amount called for under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, according to an Associated Press analysis of the Israeli military's figures.
UN and aid agency figures: The UN and other aid organizations report much lower figures and argue that the total volume of aid is insufficient to meet the urgent needs of the population.
- The UN reports that only 6,545 trucks were offloaded at Gaza crossings between the ceasefire and December 7, 2025, averaging about 113 trucks per day through UN-coordinated mechanisms.
- The Palestine Red Crescent Society has processed more than 22,000 trucks of humanitarian aid since 2023 for distribution.
- UNICEF has delivered 1,700 trucks of supplies since October 7, 2023.
- Distribution Challenges: A significant amount of aid that enters Gaza does not reach its intended destination due to security incidents, looting, and distribution bottlenecks. One report noted that between May and August 2025, nearly nine out of ten trucks that crossed into Gaza were looted or intercepted before distribution. Overall, aid agencies assert that the amount of aid entering Gaza is far below the required levels to prevent famine and address the catastrophic humanitarian conditions. The situation remains dire, with needs outpacing the capacity for response.