Hommam Al Nassim 
The Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported on the great challenges faced by the Israeli army in the Palestinian city of Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian border.
The Hebrew newspaper reported that the Israeli army has so far refrained from launching large-scale ground operations in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and on the Egyptian border during its military operation. The next issue on the Israeli Government’s table concerns combat activity in this area.
Israel Today reported that the Israeli government is planning a ground invasion in the city of Rafah and the Philadelphia area, stressing that when this decision is implemented, a comprehensive clearance operation will be carried out of the city adjacent to the Egyptian border, similar to what happened in other parts of the Gaza Strip.
The newspaper pointed out that the Israeli army has so far been satisfied with air strikes on the Salah al-Din axis adjacent to the Egyptian border, while stressing that there are justified suspicions about the continued existence of smuggling tunnels under the city’s homes.
The dilemma for the Israeli army is that half of these tunnels are under Egyptian sovereignty, complicating matters. She added that the need for a ground invasion in that area comes in order to ensure that the flow of weapons stops, and the area is completely cleared.
The newspaper pointed to the strategic importance of the Philadelphia axis adjacent to the Egyptian border, while stressing that Egypt and regional and international bodies must play an important role in managing the sector in the post-war phase.
Israeli media reported Tel Aviv’s request to Cairo to allow the deployment of Israeli troops at the Rafah crossing to prevent the smuggling of Israeli prisoners or the escape of Hamas leaders to Sinai. Israel is considering managing the Philadelphia axis, emphasizing the complexity of the issue.
In this context, the newspaper believes that the war in Gaza will enter a new phase after the completion of the current operations in different areas of the Strip, with a focus on managing the Philadelphia axis and achieving strategic security.