Ceasefire talks continued last week as Israel, United States, Egypt and Qatar He tried to find a solution to free the hostages and stop the war, but life in the trenches continues. Fox News Digital spoke to an IDF colonel based in Gaza’s explosive Netzarim corridor.

The Netzarim Corridor divides Gaza in half, and it is here that IDF Colonel Amir Ofri organizes his troops in the fight against terrorists. The atmosphere is tense, he says, describing a recent incident in which a Gazan woman stumbled toward her unit’s checkpoint, her movements erratic, suggesting disorientation. As she approached, he remembers her repeatedly looking over her shoulder, seemingly reluctant to approach. He says it was clear to him that she was under the influence of drugs.

“We’re trying to assess whether she poses a threat or whether she’s armed,” Ofri tells Fox News Digital. But as the woman gets closer, it becomes clear that someone behind her is directing her. The decision is made to send her back, but as they do so, her soldiers identify Hamas observers at a nearby school in the Al-Bureij refugee camp. As the soldiers approach, the terrorists shoot at them from the windows, launching anti-tank missiles and explosives.

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Hamas terrorists from 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 an extreme and cruel way,” he says during a Zoom interview. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

In the morning that Hamas attacks Israeli communities and settlements near Gaza On October 7, 2023, Colonel Ofri was with his family in the north to celebrate his 46th birthday. As an experienced officer, he immediately reported to work at a base in the Negev desert, just over 30 kilometers from the border. The next day, his reserve armored brigade was positioned at the Gaza fence, ready for what was coming. “We were the first to enter Gaza on October 21,” he recalls.

The responsibility he carries weighs on him. “It’s been more than nine months since I’ve seen my wife and kids for more than a fleeting moment,” he says. Before the war, he ran a company with factories in Israel, Spain and the United States. “My partner in Oklahoma was one of the first to call me after October 7. He said he hoped the United States would send whatever it could to help us.”

IDF Colonel Amir Ofri with troops in the Netzarim corridor that divides Gaza in half.

Their mission along the Netzarim Corridor, which serves as a lifeline for humanitarian aid and a strategic position in the ongoing conflict, is essential. “Our task is to keep the route open for humanitarian convoys,” explains Ofri. “Every day presents unique challenges and risks.”

The Netzarim Corridor is essential in the Gaza Strip. With the start of the ground campaign, IDF forces established a four-kilometer-wide corridor to divide Gaza in two, from its eastern border to the Mediterranean Sea. Key cities are located along the route: Jabalia and Zeitoun to the north, and Al-Bureij and Nuseirat to the south.

The other side, Hamas, does not take population into account; They exploit them. The terrorists we eliminate usually wear civilian clothes. Some are dressed as women.”

Fifteen years after Gaza was last under Israeli military control, this strategic route is again held by the IDF. The majority of Gaza’s population has been evacuated to the south, allowing the IDF to maintain almost complete control over important parts of the Strip. However, it has also become one of the most dangerous areas of the conflict, with Israeli soldiers killed and wounded since operations began.

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An IDF tank advances through the Netzarim corridor in Gaza.

“I don’t like this mission at all,” he admits. In the early stages of the war, “when the brigade was attacking, 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 started,” he says grimly. “But we have not lost any soldiers while securing the corridor, and that is the result of learning from the experiences of others.”

He humanitarian crisis in Gaza has dominated media coverage since the conflict escalated, drawing significant criticism of Israel from the UN and several countries, including the United States. Many organizations have highlighted the deteriorating situation of civilians, emphasizing that while they face difficulties, the military also has the responsibility to minimize them. damage.

A map showing the Netzarim and Philadelphia corridors in Gaza. (Reuters)

“They live in tents in difficult conditions, but they do not lack food or water,” he says. “Every day we transport about 30 trucks full of food, water, tents and medicine. The other side, Hamas, does not take the population into account; it exploits them. The terrorists we eliminate usually wear civilian clothes. Some are disguised as women “

IDF soldiers are fighting terrorists in the vital Netzarim Corridor in Gaza.

One afternoon, as a convoy approached, an unexpected vehicle cut into the line. “When we stopped the convoy, some terrorists got out of that vehicle – one dressed as a woman – and opened fire. We eliminated two of them, while two others fled towards the vehicle,” says Ofri.

“All the convoys we needed to pass passed, and then we saw Hamas setting up barricades, stopping them and looting them,” he says, explaining the complicated dynamics on the ground. “Hamas targets specific trucks instead of looting indiscriminately. We watched them quickly unload supplies and move items to warehouses. “We even saw armed Hamas vehicles leaving those places, with guards at the entrances.”

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Displaced Palestinians flee Gaza City through an Israeli army corridor in Netzarim towards Salah al-Din Street in central Gaza, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

When it comes to using civilians in the conflict, he disputes recent reports claiming that the IDF uses Gazan civilians as human shields in operations against Hamas, at least as far as its brigade is concerned. “I’ve been in combat for a year; we don’t use civilians as human shields,” he says. “Hamas does it. As someone who approves all of the brigade’s operations, I clearly state that no fire is intentionally directed at women or children. Not a single projectile or airstrike is executed without assessing possible collateral damage.”

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry says more than 42,000 people have died in Gaza. Israel says the figure is lower, but will not publish its assessment. Hamas does not differentiate between civilians and terrorists in its calculations.

Displaced Palestinians fleeing Gaza City walk through the Israeli army corridor in the Netzarim area of ​​central Gaza, July 10, 2024. (Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“The problem lies in Hamas’s cynical use of the population,” says Ofri. He blames the terrorist 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 towards our position. They forced people to leave the refugee camps, creating a dangerous environment while telling them to approach our forces,” he says.

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IDF soldiers fighting in the Netzarim corridor in Gaza. (IDF Spokesperson Unit)

In October, Yahya Sinwar, Hamas leader and mastermind of the October 7 attack, was killed by the IDF in Rafah, southern Gaza. While many speculate that Sinwar’s death may lead to a turning point in the conflict, Ofri remains doubtful. “In my opinion, he was just another terrorist who deserved to die. He is simply another obstacle in the effort to free the hostages. I understand that we will not be able to free them by military means alone. However, I believe that military pressure is the only strategy that has led to the first hostage deal.“

And it is for the hostages that Israel must continue fighting, he says. “There are 101 hostages left, many of whom are relatives of our soldiers. October 7 affected us all. I also lost friends that day,” says Ofri. “That’s why we meet again and again, even though it’s getting more difficult. If you ask any soldier, they’ll tell you it’s about the hostages.”