Good morning from Abu Dhabi. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a new corridor across southern Gaza and said the military was “dissecting” the enclave to pressure Hamas into freeing the remaining hostages. The Israeli leader said the military operation in Gaza had “shifted gears” and is now “seizing territory”, including a new route he called the Morag corridor, thought to be named after a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis. His comments came shortly after the Israeli defence minister announced a major expansion of the offensive in Gaza, warning that “large areas” would be taken and turned into Israeli security zones. At least 19 people, including nine children, were killed in a strike on a UN clinic as the situation rapidly escalates.
