World
Eyewitness to fighting Hamas terrorists in Gaza's deadly Netzarim Corridor: 'The challenges are constant'
Cease-fire talks continued last week as Israel, the U.S., Egypt and Qatar looked to find a solution to free the hostages and stop the war, yet life in the trenches goes on. Fox News Digital spoke with an IDF colonel based in the explosive Netzarim corridor in Gaza.
The Netzarim Corridor splits Gaza in half, and it’s here where IDF Col. Amir Ofri organizes his troops in a fight against terrorists. The atmosphere is tense, he says, and describes a recent incident where a Gazan woman stumbled toward his unit checkpoint, her movements erratic, suggesting disorientation. As she approached, he recalls her repeatedly glancing over her shoulder, seemingly reluctant to come closer. He says it was clear to him that she was under the influence of drugs.
“We try to assess whether she poses a threat or is armed,” Ofri tells Fox News Digital. But as the woman gets closer, it becomes obvious she is being directed by someone behind her. The decision is made to send her back, but as they do, his soldiers identify Hamas spotters in a nearby school in the refugee camp of Al-Bureij. As the soldiers move closer, terrorists fire at them from the windows, unleashing anti-tank missiles and explosives.
URBAN WARFARE EXPERT SAYS ISRAELI MILITARY TAKING UNPRECEDENTED STEPS TO PROTECT GAZA CIVILIANS
Hamas terrorists of the al-Qassam Brigades take part in a military parade to mark the anniversary of the 2014 war with Israel, in the central Gaza Strip on July 19, 2023. (Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images)
“Women and children, Hamas exploits the population in extreme and cruel ways,” he says during a Zoom interview. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
On the morning that Hamas attacked Israeli communities and settlements close to Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, Col. Ofri was with his family in the north to celebrate his 46th birthday. A seasoned officer, he immediately reported for duty to a base in the Negev Desert a little more than 30 kilometers from the border. By the next day, his reserve armored brigade was positioned at the Gaza fence, ready for whatever lay ahead. “We were the first to enter Gaza on Oct. 21,” he recalls.
The responsibility he bears weighs heavily on him. “It’s been over nine months since I’ve seen my wife and children for more than a fleeting moment,” he says. Before the war, he directed a company with factories in Israel, Spain and the U.S. “My partner in Oklahoma was one of the first to call me after Oct. 7. He said he hoped the U.S. would send everything it could to help us.”
IDF Col. Amir Ofri with troops by the Nitzarim Corridor that splits Gaza in half. (Photo: IDF Spokesman’s Unit.) (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)
His mission along the Netzarim Corridor, which serves both as a lifeline for humanitarian aid and a strategic position in the ongoing conflict, is critical. “Our job is to keep the route open for humanitarian convoys,” Ofri explains. “Every day presents unique challenges and risks.”
The Netzarim Corridor is pivotal in the Gaza Strip. With the onset of the ground campaign, IDF forces established a four-kilometer wide corridor to split Gaza in two, from its eastern border to the Mediterranean Sea. Key towns sit along the route – Jabalia and Zeitoun to the north, and Al-Bureij and Nuseirat to the south.
The other side, Hamas, doesn’t account for the population; they exploit them. The terrorists we eliminate often wear civilian clothes. Some are disguised as women.”
Fifteen years after Gaza was last under Israel’s military control, this strategic route is again being held by the IDF. The majority of Gaza’s population has been evacuated south, allowing the IDF to maintain nearly full control over significant parts of the Strip. However, it has also become one of the most dangerous areas in the conflict, with Israeli soldiers killed and injured since operations began.
WORLD, UN SIGNAL NO EXIT FOR CIVILIANS CAUGHT UP IN GAZA WAR: ‘POLITICALLY TOXIC’
An IDF tank rolls through the Netzarim Corridor in Gaza. (Photo: IDF Spokesman’s Unit.) (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)
“I don’t like this mission at all,” he admits. In the early stages of the war, “when the brigade was on the attack, we were more efficient and lethal. In the Netzarim Corridor, the challenges are constant,” he says.
Despite these difficulties, Ofri’s brigade has operated with minimal casualties. “Eight fighters from my brigade have fallen since the fighting began,” he says somberly. “But we haven’t lost any soldiers while securing the corridor, and that’s the result of learning from others’ experiences.”
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has dominated media coverage since the conflict escalated, leading to significant criticism of Israel from the U.N. and various countries, including the U.S. Many organizations have highlighted the deteriorating situation for civilians, emphasizing that while they face hardships, the military also has a responsibility to minimize harm.
A map showing the Netzarim and Philadelphi Corridors in Gaza. (Reuters)
“They’re living in tents under difficult conditions, but they lack neither food nor water,” he says. “Every day, we transfer about 30 trucks filled with food, water, tents and medicine. The other side, Hamas, doesn’t account for the population; they exploit them. The terrorists we eliminate often wear civilian clothes. Some are disguised as women.”
IDF soldiers fighting in the Netzarim Corridor in Gaza. (Photo: IDF Spokesman’s Unit.) (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)
One evening as a convoy approached, an unplanned vehicle got into the line. “When we stopped the convoy, terrorists emerged from that vehicle – one dressed as a woman – and they opened fire. We eliminated two of them, while two others fled back to the vehicle,” Ofri says.
“All the convoys we needed to pass did pass, and then we saw Hamas setting up roadblocks, stopping and looting them,” he says, elaborating on the complicated dynamics on the ground. “Hamas targets specific trucks rather than looting indiscriminately. We observed them unloading supplies quickly, moving items into warehouses. We even saw armed Hamas vehicles leaving those locations, with guards at the entrances.”
DATA USED FOR GAZA FAMINE CLAIMS CHANGING AS EXPERT CAUTIONS ‘NO ONE SEEMS TO BE TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHY’
Displaced Palestinians flee Gaza City through an Israeli army corridor in Netzarim to Salah al-Din Street in central Gaza, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
When it comes to using civilians in the conflict, he disputes a recent reports claiming that the IDF uses Gazan civilians as human shields in operations against Hamas, at least when it comes to his brigade. “I’ve been in combat for a year; we don’t use civilians as human shields,” he says. “Hamas does. As someone who approves all operations for the brigade, I state clearly that no fire is intentionally directed at women or children. Not a single shell or airstrike is executed without assessing potential collateral damage.”
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry claims more than 42,000 people have been killed in Gaza. Israel says the number is lower, but will not publish its assessment. Hamas doesn’t differentiate between civilians and terrorists in its calculations.
Displaced Palestinians fleeing Gaza City walk along the Israeli army corridor in the Netzarim area in central Gaza, on July 10, 2024. (Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The problem lies in Hamas’s cynical use of the population,” Ofri says. He blames the terror organization for the loss of so many civilian lives. “We witnessed this during the recent Iranian attack. As soon as the Iranian assault began, on October 1, Hamas operatives attacked us. We were on the southern side of the corridor when they used short-range mortars to exploit the situation, pushing civilians toward our position. They forced people out of refugee camps, creating a dangerous environment as they told them to move closer to our forces,” he says.
IDF soldiers fighting in the Netzarim Corridor in Gaza. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)
In October, Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ leader and the mastermind behind the Oct. 7 attack, was killed by the IDF in Rafah, in southern Gaza. While many speculate that Sinwar’s death may lead to a turning point in the conflict, Ofri remains dubious. “In my view, he was just another terrorist who deserved to die. He’s just another obstacle in the effort to release hostages. I understand we won’t be able to free them through military means alone. However, I believe military pressure is the only strategy that has led to the first hostage deal.”
And it is because of the hostages that Israel must continue fighting, he says. “There are 101 hostages left, many of whom are relatives of our soldiers. Oct. 7 affected us all. I lost friends that day as well,” Ofri says. “That’s why we come together time and again, although it gets harder and harder. If you ask any soldier, they will tell you it’s about the hostages.”
Jurors at the EnergaCamerimage cinematography fest say the Golden Frog main competition films have been remarkably varied and inspiring in the event’s 32nd edition.
The 12 competing films “were radically different from each other,” said “Barbie” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, whose directorial debut, “Pedro Paramo,” is also screening at the fest. “I enjoyed that.”
The varied styles, approaches and storytellers, he added, defied easy categorization. “Happily, I didn’t notice trends, which I have noticed sometimes in the past in some festivals.”
Juror Anthony Dod Mantle, who won Golden Frogs in 2008 for his lensing of “Slumdog Millionaire” and in 2016 for “Snowden,” said, “I’ve been to this festival before and the overall collection of films and categories, I felt, was even wider. I feel slight absence of certain films from other ethnic backgrounds. They were different, these films, but they could be far more different.”
Greater diversity and inclusion in cinematography has justly been a hot topic this year at Camerimage, he added. “It’s good we embrace that, celebrate it here, because not many festivals do that.”
Dod Mantle described the current state of cinematography, based on what the jury’s seen this week, as “openly variable and that’s why we praise some films rather than others because they challenge convention.”
He also described the industry as “in a bit of a pickle,” adding, “We know that. We have to applaud ourselves and embrace and encourage every single essence of, molecule of, exploration and challenging cinema.”
Juror Lukasz Zal, who filmed “The Zone of Interest” and “Cold War,” said “I feel really inspired. I feel this kind of positive envy when you just see something which you admire, and love – cinema is still in good condition.”
And, he added, “I’m becoming hopeful that, OK, there’s still a lot to discover. For this, I really love Camerimage. When I was here, when I was a student, I was always coming back home after festival, with this feeling, kind of eager to work, to prepare and to just be really open and be full of ideas.”
Spending time here again as a top professional in his field, Zal said, “I feel again like a student.”
Juror Cate Blanchett said it’s clear cinematography has no crisis of creativity currently.
Instead, there’s a different issue: “The pickle is how one gets access and is able to see these films in the way that they’re intended to be seen.”
Technology advances in the field are also helping storytelling onscreen evolve, she added, rather than distracting from it. “Sometimes you can see there’s been huge technical advances made, or there’s been big innovations, and they haven’t yet been integrated into the stories that they’re being applied to. Whereas I thought there were so many films here that have really integrated the technology and in a completely adventurous and inventive way that was not pretentious. It was very interwoven and enmeshed with the performances and the stories.”
Jury duty at Camerimage is rewarding, said Dod Mantle, because the Golden Frog award can often help promising cinematographers break through to booming careers.
He described the potential effect of the award as “enormous.”
“The first time I came here, in competition,” he recalled, “it illustrated for me the jury was embracing cinema, celebrating something different and challenging.”
Cinematographers are keenly aware of the judgment of their peers, Dod Mantle added. “You feel quite vulnerable here. I’ve seen cinematographers leave the festival and go spend the weekend in Krakow and come back. The frog, ultimately is a beautiful thing celebrating our colleagues’ work.”
Juror Anna Higgs, a producer and columnist who works closely with BAFTA, said, “I think we should normalize cinematographers getting asked for their autographs – the fact that this frog is the idolized thing here.”
Blanchett added, “It’s very rare that you go to a festival where every single person in the auditorium sits right through the credit roll to the very end.” She noted “the respect that is shown to every single crewmember.”
Prieto recalled the impact of his own Golden Frog cinematography win in 2000 for “Amores Perros” fondly. “I do cherish that frog. It’s wonderful to get a frog, but more than anything, it’s a place where cinematography is the focus and is celebrated, and to share that obsession with so many people, and the energy of that, is really wonderful.”
Zal had a similar career boost, he said, after winning for lensing “Ida” by Pawel Pawlikowski in 2013. “That’s really the moment when somehow my career changed. I was always dreaming while having student films here. And it was beautiful to get an award from colleagues and being here and being among amazing cinematographers.
“I was put in competition with the people who I admire. Even now, sitting with Rodrigo, who for me was a huge inspiration. I was shooting my films in school inspired by ‘Amores Perros.’ Now we’re sitting together on the jury. That’s amazing, that’s beautiful.”
Blanchett described the close proximity of students and top international lensers as a unique strength of Camerimage, praising “the mentorship that goes on, how you’ll champion the works of other people.”
“I think that’s why it’s so vitally important that there’s an increased level of female participation. Because of the networking and mentorship opportunities and championing the work. The conversations and the opportunities that arise from those conversations are really important.”
Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell (“Shakespeare in Love,” “The Aviator” and “The Young Victoria”) and cinematographer and documentary filmmaker Jolanta Dylewska also served on the Camerimage jury, calling earlier this week for greater diversity and inclusion in the industry.
Investigators in Ukraine are analyzing the debris of a new intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) fired by Russia at the city of Dnipro on Thursday, marking the first time the weapon had been used on the battlefield.
On Sunday, Ukraine’s Security Service showed the remaining fragments of the IRBM called Oreshnik – Russian for Hazel Tree – that struck a factory to The Associated Press.
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed the attack on Thursday evening in an address to the nation and said it was in direct response to the U.S. and the U.K. jointly approving Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles to target Russia.
The Pentagon has said the missile is based on Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), though the wreckage has not yet been analyzed, according to security officials on site in an undisclosed location in Ukraine.
‘NEW’ RUSSIAN MISSILE USED AGAINST UKRAINE NOT HYPERSONIC, DEFENSE OFFICIALS SAY
Fragments of a rocket which struck Dnipro on November 21 are seen at a center for forensic analysis in undisclosed location, Ukraine, Sunday Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The AP and other media were permitted to view the fragments before being taken over by investigators.
The wire service showed images of what it described as mangled and charred wires, along with an ashy airframe about the size of a large snow tire. The remains were all that were left of the IRBM, which can carry nuclear or conventional warheads.
“It should be noted that this is the first time that the remains of such a missile have been discovered on the territory of Ukraine,” a specialist with Ukraine’s Security Service said. The specialist only identified himself by his first name Oleh because he was not authorized to discuss the issue with the media.
1,000 DAYS OF WAR IN UKRAINE AS ZELENSKYY DOUBLES DOWN ON AERIAL OPTIONS WITH ATACMS, DRONES AND MISSILES
Fragments of a rocket which struck Dnipro on November 21 are seen at a center for forensic analysis in undisclosed location, Ukraine, Sunday Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate said the missile was launched from the 4th Missile Test Range, Kapustin Yar, in Russia’s Astrakhan region. Once launched, Ukrainian officials said, it flew for 15 minutes before striking Dnipro. The missile was carrying six warheads, each carrying six subunitions, and its speed was Mach 11.
Last week, Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed to reporters during a press briefing that Russia had launched the IRBM, noting that it was a “new type of lethal capability that was employed on the battlefield.”
She also said the U.S. was notified briefly before the launch through nuclear or risk reduction channels.
US EMBASSY IN KYIV CLOSED AS ‘POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT AIR ATTACK’ LOOMS
Fragments of a rocket which struck Dnipro on November 21 are seen at a center for forensic analysis in undisclosed location, Ukraine, Sunday Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Putin also said last week that the missile attacked targets at a speed of Mach 10.
Despite Ukraine’s and Putin’s claim that the rocket reached speeds greater than Mach 10, two U.S. defense officials told Fox News on Thursday the missile was not hypersonic, which, according to NASA, is a speed greater than 3,000 mph and faster than Mach 5.
Along with launching the IRBM for the first time on the battlefield, Putin signed a law to grant debt forgiveness to those who enlist in Russia’s army to fight in Ukraine.
US BRIEFED UKRAINE AHEAD OF PUTIN’S ‘EXPERIMENTAL INTERMEDIATE-RANGE BALLISTIC’ ATTACK
Fragments of a rocket which struck Dnipro on November 21 are seen at a center for forensic analysis in undisclosed location, Ukraine, Sunday Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The AP reported that the measure highlights the country’s need for military personnel as it continues its war against Ukraine.
Russian state news agency Interfax said the new legislation allows new recruits enlisting for a one-year contract, to write off debts up to 10 million rubles, or about $96,000.
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The law reportedly applies to debts in which a court order for collection was issued, and enforcement proceedings had commenced before Dec. 1, 2024. The legislation also applies to spouses of new recruits.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The federal government argues that the volume of traffic on the motorway network has increased more than five times over the past sixty years.
Swiss voters took to the polls on Sunday to vote no to bigger motorways, no to easier evictions and tighter subletting rules and yes to a new healthcare financing model.
The Swiss government’s proposal to allocate €5.3 million for expanding motorways and constructing new roads at six key locations, including near Bern and between Geneva and Lausanne, was rejected by 52.7% of voters.
The plan, approved by parliament last year, faced opposition from those concerned about its environmental impact and effectiveness.
The federal government, argues that the volume of traffic on the motorway network has increased more than five times over the past 60 years.
The result was celebrated by the Green Party which called the proposal “an out-of-date transport policy”.
Together with left-wing and environmental groups, the Greens campaigned against the project, highlighting its environmental impact and the concern that wider roads would only lead to more traffic. They now advocate for the funds to be used for public transport, active mobility, and the renovation of existing motorways.
Mattea Meyer from the no camp expressed her satisfaction with the referendum result.
“I am incredibly pleased that a majority of the population does not want a highway expansion, and instead wants more climate protection, a transport transition that is climate-compatible, which the highway expansion is not,” she said.
According to local media to counter this decision the yes campaign, plans on moving forward with expansion projects separately through agglomeration programs, reducing the chance for cantonal referendums.
No to easier evictions
On Sunday, Swiss voters decided on multiple housing issues, such as subletting and lease termination.
53.8% of them rejected the proposal which would make it easier for landlords to terminate leases early in order to use properties for their own purposes.
Additionally, 51.6% voted against a plan for stricter regulations on subletting residential and commercial properties. According to local media, these issues attracted significant attention because tenancy laws affect the majority of Swiss citizens, with about 60% of the population renting their homes, the highest rate in Europe.
The proposal to ease eviction rules faced strong opposition, especially in French-speaking cantons, with Geneva seeing 67.8% of its voters against the plan due to the city’s ongoing housing shortage.
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