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(FORT HUACHUCA, AZ) — U.S. Army soldiers will soon be patrolling a 170-mile buffer zone along the southern border with Mexico in a newly created “National Defense Area” in Arizona and New Mexico.

It’s part of the Trump administration’s efforts to use the U.S. military to stop the flow of undocumented migrants into the United States.

The large swath of area will stretch 60-feet-deep along federal lands running the length of the border and will be considered a part of Fort Huachuca in Arizona, meaning that, just as at any Army base, trespassers would be apprehended by soldiers and held until turned over to law enforcement.

Some analysts see it as a way to militarize the border and skirt a federal law — the Posse Comitatus Act — that prohibits U.S. military personnel from carrying out law enforcement duties: by declaring the federal property a military base where migrants crossing into can be detained.

“Last week, President Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum directing federal agencies administering federal land on the border to make land available to the Defense Department in a new national defense area,” Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told reporters on Tuesday.

“This new National Defense Area spans more than 170 miles across our border in New Mexico,” said Leavitt. “But in in the coming weeks, this administration will add more than 90 miles in the state of Texas.”

“This National Defense Area will enhance our ability to detect, interdict and prosecute the illegal aliens, criminal gangs and terrorists who were able to invade our country without consequence for the past four years under the Biden administration,” said Leavitt. “It will also bolster our defenses against fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics that have been poisoning our communities.”

U.S. officials told ABC News that the initial phase of the new area will stretch from Fort Huachuca in southeastern Arizona eastward into New Mexico.

The designation of a National Defense Area will apply only to federal lands that have been newly transferred to the control of the Defense Department and will not apply to privately held lands or territory belong to Native American reservations. That means it will be non-contiguous but will be in effect for much of New Mexico’s border with Mexico, which stretches for nearly 180 miles of the state’s border.

U.S. Army troops will be operating in what is essentially a buffer zone formally known as the Roosevelt Reservation that includes federal lands in California, Arizona, and New Mexico on the border with Mexico. In 1907, to prevent smuggling, President Theodore Roosevelt declared that a 60-foot-wide buffer zone on public lands along the border with Mexico belongs to the federal government.

Two U.S. officials told ABC News it was still to be determined whether the new authority would be applied to Texas given that the Roosevelt Reservation does not apply to lands in that state.

According to the officials, the U.S. Army will soon begin placing signs on both sides of that 60-foot buffer zone warning that they are about to enter Defense Department property and could be apprehended for trespassing.

Because of natural barriers along the border, the Roosevelt Reservation in some cases may stretch a mile into U.S. territory.

Some of the territory to now be considered an Army base already has existing fencing on the border but in some areas does not. Regardless, the Army will place signage in both English and Spanish warning that any trespassers into the area will be apprehended.

The move by the Trump administration has drawn criticism from legal analysts who describe it as a way to get around the U.S. military having law enforcement on the border which is done by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Currently 10,000 U.S. military personnel have been authorized to serve along the border, but only in a support role to CBP.

“The president’s plan would empower U.S. soldiers patrolling the area to take on a civilian law enforcement function: apprehending and detaining migrants crossing the border into the U.S. Deploying the military to enforce civilian law is a clear violation of the Posse Comitatus Act,” said Elizabeth Goitein, the senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice.

“Under emergency powers law, the president is required to seek congressional approval for any transfer of federal land to the Defense Department,” said Goitein.

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International students pursuing degrees at Michigan public universities sought relief from detention and deportation during a federal court hearing on Tuesday, after their student immigration status was terminated this month, jeopardizing their legal status in the U.S.

The students — two citizens of China, one of Nepal and another from India — filed a lawsuit on Friday against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and immigration officials, claiming that their student immigration status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) was illegally terminated “without sufficient notice and explanation.”

SEVIS is a database that tracks information about nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors in the U.S.

“According to the government, they no longer have legal status in the U.S., and they have to leave the country immediately,” Ramis Wadood, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan who is representing the students, told ABC News.

He noted that the students didn’t get any kind of grace period.

“You no longer have status, and have to leave the country right away,” Wadood said.

The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court by the ACLU of Michigan on behalf of the students — Xiangyun Bu, Qiuyi Yang, Yogesh Joshi and Chinmay Deore. According to the complaint, in addition to their student immigration status being terminated, Yang and Joshi were told that their F-1 student visas, which allowed them to enter the country, were also revoked.

“None of them has been charged with, let alone convicted of, any crime in the United States,” the complaint said. “None has violated any immigration law. Nor have they been active in on-campus protests regarding any political issue.”

The students’ attorneys argued during a Tuesday morning hearing in a Detroit federal court for a temporary restraining order that would restore their legal status and protect them from arrest or deportation as the case moves forward.

According to Wadood, the judge indicated that he “recognized the urgency of the situation and said he would rule soon.”

Wadood told ABC News on Monday that his clients are at risk of being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and are “scared” and have stopped showing up to classes in person.

“Our clients have been allowed to continue their studies to the extent that their professors and their programs will accommodate,” Wadood said, adding that they are trying to resume their studies remotely since “they’re at risk of arrest and detention at any point.”

The lawsuit names DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and ICE Detroit Field Office Director Robert Lynch. ABC News reached out to the officials but requests for comment were not immediately returned.

“DHS did not provide the students or their schools any meaningful explanation for terminating their F-1 student status,” the complaint said. “At most, what seems to connect students targeted by this newfound and unlawful policy is that the students had some encounter with some American law enforcement official at some point in the past, no matter how innocuous — including receiving a speeding or parking ticket (or even a warning) or lawfully withdrawing an application to enter the United States.”

Court records show four separate letters that each of the students received from their prospective universities informing them that their student immigration status has been terminated. The reason cited by DHS in all cases is “individual identified in criminal records check,” and for Yang and Joshi it also says “and/or revoked visa.”

The Trump administration filed a response on Monday evening to the plaintiff’s motion for a temporary restraining order, urging the judge to “deny this request because it is procedurally and substantively improper.”

“An emergency motion for a temporary restraining order may only be used to maintain the status quo; it cannot be used to obtain the ultimate relief plaintiffs seek in this case, which is the alteration of their SEVIS record,” it said.

The government also alleged in Monday’s filing that the students have criminal records, but did not provide additional details.

“DHS searched criminal records for each of the plaintiffs and criminal history matches were returned for each of the plaintiffs,” its response said.

Wadood denied that any of his clients have ever been charged with or convicted of a crime. He said that in explaining their reference to “criminal records,” the government cited three of his clients who were detained for alleged domestic disputes.

They were subsequently released and not charged with any crimes, while one plaintiff “doesn’t have as much as a simple speeding ticket or parking ticket” on their record, according to Wadood

“Our plaintiffs’ criminal history is clean. They have no convictions, no charges,” he said.

The federal lawsuit comes as the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown strikes higher education, prompting a slew of lawsuits against White House officials. Similar lawsuits have been filed across the country in states like New Hampshire, Indiana and California.

According to Inside Higher Ed — a publication that tracks news in higher education — as of Tuesday over 180 colleges and universities have identified nearly 1,200 international students and recent graduates who have had their legal status changed by the State Department.

“If the courts don’t put an end to this arbitrary government action, then generations of future international students are going to see what’s happening today and decide, ‘You know what, it’s probably not safe for me to go to the U.S to study'” Wadood said. “And our academic institutions, our academic communities, are going to be so much worse off because of it.”

The Trump administration appears to be targeting some international students with student visas and green card holders for their participation in pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses or for alleged criminal records.

“A visa is a gift. It’s a voluntary thing. We decide to give you a visa,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a March 28 press conference. “We deny visas all over the world every day for a variety of reasons, and that means we can also revoke those visas. No one is entitled to a visa.”

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(LONDON and PRETORIA) — An American missionary who was allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint during a church service in South Africa last Thursday evening was rescued in “a high-intensity shootout” several days later, South African police said Wednesday.

Three unidentified suspects were killed during Tuesday’s operation, which was led by the South African Police Service’s elite Hawks unit, according to a statement from spokesman Lt. Col. Avele Fumba.

Investigators discovered that the abducted U.S. citizen, believed to be a pastor at a church in the South African port city of Gqeberha, was being held at a safe house there, Fumba said. As officers approached the house on Tuesday, suspects inside a vehicle opened fire on law enforcement and attempted to flee the scene, Fumba said, “leading to a high-intensity shootout in which three unidentified suspects were fatally wounded.”

“The victim was found inside the same vehicle from which the suspects had launched their attack,” Fumba added. “Miraculously unharmed, he was immediately assessed by medical personnel and is currently in an excellent condition.”

Police have not yet identified the rescued American by name. The investigation remains ongoing, according to Fumba.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(NEW YORK) — For the first time, newly released security footage shows the moment an alleged stowaway sneaked onto a transatlantic flight just before last Thanksgiving in a stunning breach of security.

Svetlana Dali is accused of boarding an overnight Delta flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on Nov. 26 and traveling to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in France without having a ticket.

Dali can be seen in a video obtained by ABC News walking up to gate B38 at Terminal 4 while other passengers have their boarding passes and passports checked. After gate attendants assisted a separate group of customers and ushered them toward the jet bridge, Dali followed immediately behind, the video shows.

Wearing a gray hoodie and carrying both a green backpack and a black bag, Dali appeared to blend in with the crowd, passing by the gate attendants and walking toward the flight.

“This was very unusual and disconcerting,” Richard Frankel, a former FBI special agent in charge of investigations at JFK who is now an ABC News contributor, said after reviewing the video. “She just basically gloms onto the back of that group and goes in as if she’s part of a group.”

“Delta agents, who were busy helping ticketed passengers board, did not stop her or ask her to present a boarding pass before she boarded the plane,” an FBI complaint said, adding that Dali later stated “she knew her conduct was illegal.”

Dali later pleaded not guilty to a federal stowaway charge.

“Our review affirms that Delta’s security infrastructure, as part of our Safety Management System framework, is sound and that deviation from standard procedures is the root cause of this event,” a Delta spokesperson told ABC News. “As nothing is of greater importance than safety and security, we will continue to work closely with our regulators, law enforcement and other relevant stakeholders.”

A separate closed-circuit video from earlier that evening shows Dali going through the TSA screening machine at Terminal 4 and being patted down by a TSA agent.

“I think she planned it, but it’s also luck of the draw,” Frankel said. “I think she had her game plan and … her game plan really worked.”

Dali, a Russian citizen and U.S. permanent resident who most recently lived in Philadelphia, was ultimately spotted by Delta employees before the plane landed in France, according to the FBI complaint. The complaint stated that Dali was unable to provide a boarding pass and that once the plane landed, French law enforcement would not allow her to pass the customs area.

Officials attempted to send Dali back to the United States on another flight shortly after, ABC News previously reported, but Dali was removed from the plane after insisting against her return.

She was eventually brought back to New York to face charges. After being released, Dali allegedly cut off her ankle monitor and traveled to Buffalo, where she tried to cross over the Peace Bridge into Canada.

Dali’s public defender declined to comment.

The surveillance videos were released in response to a request ABC News filed in December with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airports in the New York metropolitan area.

The FBI’s complaint against Dali stated that there is also surveillance footage of Dali “bypassing TSA officials” at JFK. The FBI alleges that Dali had been turned away by a TSA official the night of the flight for not having a boarding pass, but was eventually able to make it through the TSA area “without a boarding pass by entering through a special lane for airline employees masked by a large Air Europa flight crew.”

Footage of Dali in that area was not released by the Port Authority. The agency told ABC News that releasing additional video footage “could jeopardize the security of the buildings or facilities or the persons therein,” adding that “providing multiple camera angles of a facility or incident could allow for inferences to be made as to vulnerabilities or blind spots in surveillance cameras.”

In a statement to ABC News, TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said that a review of the incident has been conducted.

“As a result of our review, additional security measures are now in place,” Farbstein said. “TSA’s security measures are always evolving to ensure this type of incident does not happen again.”

Dali is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. She is due back in federal court on April 22.

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(MUSCAT, Oman) — The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that the second round of indirect talks with the United States are expected to take place in Oman on Saturday, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

An Iranian delegation had arrived in Oman’s capital, Muscat, last Saturday to meet with U.S. officials for “indirect talks” about Tehran’s nuclear program, Iranian state-owned news agency IRIB reported.

The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff spoke directly with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as part of “very positive and constructive” talks.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted to their telegram channel Saturday that the talks ended after two and a half hours. It says the two parties “exchanged the positions of their respective governments” on Iran’s nuclear program and on sanctions.

There had been speculation that the second round of talks would be held in a European country.

ABC News’ Morgan Winsor and Victoria Beaule contributed to this report.

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(COPENHAGEN, Denmark) — One of the Americans detained for nearly two weeks in Denmark over an alleged assault against an Uber driver while visiting Copenhagen on their college spring break said he was “shocked” that he and his friend were arrested and maintained that they are innocent.

“We were both just very shocked about the fact that we were being arrested over this incident,” Owen Ray told “Good Morning America” on Monday, hours after he and his friend were freed. “We had done nothing wrong,” Ray added.

Ray, a 19-year-old studying at Miami University in Ohio, and his unnamed friend were detained at Copenhagen Airport on April 1 over an alleged dispute with an Uber driver the night prior, Jordan Finfer, a U.S.-based attorney for Ray’s family, told ABC News. Local police detained them while they were heading home after deeming them “flight risks,” claiming they were planning to run from the incident, he said.

In an account relayed to Finfer, who then shared the details with ABC News, Ray said he and his friend realized they had entered the wrong address for their destination — and the Uber driver allegedly refused to take them anywhere else.

Ray said they decided to cancel their Uber and left the vehicle. Then, after they walked a few blocks, the Uber driver pulled up, got out of the car and “started yelling at us, thinking he hadn’t been paid for the Uber, but in fact, he had been paid for the Uber,” Ray said.

“He then got in our faces and was saying, ‘I’m gonna call 10 guys,'” Ray said.

“We said, ‘We’ve done nothing wrong. We’ve done nothing wrong.’ He then started an altercation with us,” Ray said.

“The safety of everyone who uses the Uber app is a top priority, and we take reports of violence very seriously,” an Uber spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News on Sunday. “Any additional questions about the investigation should be directed to the Danish police,” the statement added.

Copenhagen police said the two students were charged with common assault.

Following his arrest, Ray said he thought he would be able to explain to a judge what happened and be released.

“But then we went to the judge, and we were actually told that we would be imprisoned in a Danish prison for 10 days,” he said.

Ray said he wasn’t able to make a phone call for 36 hours after his arrest and didn’t know if his parents even knew where he was.

“I was initially very worried about making sure that I could get into contact,” he said.

He said he was able to text his mother from a phone at court, and she ended up flying to Denmark.

“I was very relieved to have heard that she was able to do that, and thankful that she was able to,” Ray said. “I’m very thankful to my family and everyone else who’s been supporting me throughout this situation.”

Ray said it also helped that he and his friend had each other while detained.

“We read books, we played cards, we played chess and luckily we were able to get through it in a good mental state,” he said.

Their initial 10-day, pre-trial detention amid the investigation into the incident was subsequently extended until April 24, a Copenhagen police spokesperson told ABC News.

Ray said his Danish attorney filed an appeal last week, and the judge ruled in their favor on Monday, releasing them.

The teen said Danish authorities have their passports and they have to check in with police daily until they get an update on the case. He said he believes they are waiting for either the investigating authorities to drop the case or for a trial date to be set.

Ray said he and his friend are in a good mental state, and that he plans to maintain a positive attitude about the ordeal while hoping for it to be resolved soon.

“I just hope that Denmark and the legal authorities here are able to — and the U.S. government can help us and do what they can to help us be released by Easter, so I can be home with my family,” Ray said.

“I think the best case would be for the Danish police and the prosecutor to drop the case at this point, because we’re completely innocent, and for them to return us our passports and allow us to head back to the United States,” he said.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday that they are “aware of media reports of two U.S. citizens detained in Denmark. Staff at our embassy in Copenhagen are providing consular assistance.”

“The Department has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad,” the statement continued. “Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment.”

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(LONDON) — A Russian ballistic missile strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy killed at least 34 people on Sunday morning, emergency services said, as many there celebrated Palm Sunday.

“The enemy struck the civilian population again,” acting Mayor Artem Kobzar wrote on Telegram. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said that at least 34 people — including two children — were confirmed killed, with 117 others injured, including 15 children. Two missiles struck the center of the city, authorities said.

A day after the massive attack, President Donald Trump repeated familiar talking points blaming Ukraine for Russia’s invasion, and claiming his predecessor and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “did an absolutely horrible job in allowing this travesty to begin.”

“The War between Russia and Ukraine is Biden’s war, not mine,” he said in a post on Truth Social on Monday, echoing remarks he made to reporters on Sunday. “I just got here, and for four years during my term, had no problem in preventing it from happening.”

Trump added that Russian President Vladimir Putin “respected” him, and said he is “working diligently to get the death and destruction to stop” though did not directly mention the current peace negotiations.

The Sumy City Council said the strike hit multiple buildings, including residential ones. “On this bright day of Palm Sunday, our community suffered a terrible tragedy,” Kobzar wrote.

Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said the missiles used cluster munitions, which spray smaller sub-munitions over the target area. “A cluster munition missile is something the Russians do to kill as many civilians as possible,” Yermak wrote on Telegram. “The strike on the city of Sumy is a deliberate shelling of civilians.”

Zelenskyy said on Telegram that the “terrible strike” hit “an ordinary city street, ordinary life: houses, educational institutions, cars on the street.”

“And this is on a day when people go to church: Palm Sunday, the feast of the lord’s entry into Jerusalem,” he added. “Only a scoundrel can act like this. Taking the lives of ordinary people. My condolences to the relatives and friends. A rescue operation is underway now. All necessary services are working.”

“A tough reaction from the world is needed,” Zelenskyy wrote. “The United States, Europe, everyone in the world who wants an end to this war and murders. Russia wants exactly this kind of terror and is dragging out this war. Without pressure on the aggressor, peace is impossible.”

“Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and air bombs,” Zelenskyy said. “We need the kind of attitude towards Russia that a terrorist deserves.”

Foreign leaders and officials condemned the strike. Among them was Trump, who told reporters on Sunday that the attack was “terrible,” adding, “I was told they made a mistake, but I think it’s a horrible thing. I think the whole war is a horrible thing.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post to X, “Everyone knows: this war was initiated by Russia alone. And today, it is clear that Russia alone chooses to continue it — with blatant disregard for human lives, international law, and the diplomatic efforts of President [Donald] Trump.”

“Strong measures are needed to impose a ceasefire on Russia,” Marcon added. “France is working tirelessly toward this goal, alongside its partners.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the incident as, “The Russian version of a ceasefire.”

Keith Kellogg, Trump’s Ukraine envoy, wrote on X that the strike “by Russian forces on civilian targets in Sumy crosses any line of decency. There are scores of civilian[s] dead and wounded. As a former military leader, I understand targeting and this is wrong. It is why President Trump is working hard to end this war.”

ABC News’ Natalia Popova, Natalia Kushnir and Victoria Beaule contributed to this report.

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(COPENHAGEN) — Two college students, both United States citizens, were detained while visiting Denmark on their spring break, according to officials and an attorney representing the family of one of the young men.

Owen Ray, a 19-year-old studying at the University of Miami in Ohio, and his unnamed friend were detained at Copenhagen Airport on April 1 over an alleged dispute with an Uber driver the night prior, Jordan Finfer, a U.S.-based attorney for Ray’s family, told ABC News.

In an account relayed to Finfer, who then shared the details with ABC News, Ray said he and a friend were in an Uber on March 31 when they realized they had entered the wrong address for their destination — and the driver allegedly refused to take them anywhere else.

All parties — Ray, the friend and the Uber driver — eventually got out of the car, and an altercation then allegedly occurred, Finfer said, based on Ray’s account.

Finfer says Ray told him that the driver kicked Ray in the groin, and in response, Ray pushed him away and the driver fell, the attorney recounted, adding that Ray and his friend then ran away.

The two students were detained at Copenhagen Airport the next day while trying to return home, Finfer told ABC News. Local police detained them after deeming them “flight risks,” claiming they were planning to run from the incident, he said.

“On the evening of March 31, 2025, Owen Ray and a friend were the victims of an unprovoked verbal and physical assault by an Uber driver in Denmark,” Andy and Sara Buchen-Ray, the parents of Owen Ray, said in a statement to ABC News. “They did nothing to instigate the attack. We urge the Danish authorities to recognize Owen’s innocence and release him immediately. Our family is heartbroken, and we want our son home to celebrate Easter with us this week.”

“The safety of everyone who uses the Uber app is a top priority, and we take reports of violence very seriously,” an Uber spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News on Sunday.

“Any additional questions about the investigation should be directed to the Danish police,” the statement added.

Ray’s Denmark-based attorney, Eigil Strand, confirmed to ABC News that as of 10:50 p.m. Thursday Danish time, both of the young men are still being detained, while Danish police say neither student has been charged.

A Copenhagen police spokesperson told ABC News, “The Copenhagen Police can confirm, that on March 31, two American citizens were arrested in Copenhagen, and on March 31 they were brought before the court charged with common assault. They were sentenced to 10 days pre-trial detention. This verdict has since extended until April 24.”

The U.S. State Department provided a statement on Sunday saying, “We are aware of media reports of two U.S. citizens detained in Denmark. Staff at our embassy in Copenhagen are providing consular assistance,” according to Chicago-based ABC affiliate WLS.

“The Department has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad,” it continued. “Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment.”

ABC News’ Benjamin Siu contributed to this report.

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LONDON — A Russian ballistic missile strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy killed at least 21 people on Sunday morning, the city’s acting mayor and local emergency services said, as many there celebrated Palm Sunday.

“The enemy struck the civilian population again,” acting Mayor Artem Kobzar wrote on Telegram. At least 21 people were confirmed killed, Kobzar said. At least another 20 people were injured. The Sumy City Council said the strike hit multiple buildings, including residential ones.

“On this bright day of Palm Sunday, our community suffered a terrible tragedy,” Kobzar wrote.

Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, wrote, “The Russians hit the city of Sumy with missiles, killing civilians.”

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram that the “terrible strike” hit “an ordinary city street, ordinary life: houses, educational institutions, cars on the street.”

“And this is on a day when people go to church: Palm Sunday, the feast of the lord’s entry into Jerusalem,” he added. “Only a scoundrel can act like this. Taking the lives of ordinary people. My condolences to the relatives and friends. A rescue operation is underway now. All necessary services are working.”

“A tough reaction from the world is needed,” Zelenskyy wrote. “The United States, Europe, everyone in the world who wants an end to this war and murders. Russia wants exactly this kind of terror and is dragging out this war. Without pressure on the aggressor, peace is impossible.”

“Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and air bombs,” Zelenskyy said. “We need the kind of attitude towards Russia that a terrorist deserves.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ABC News’ Natalia Popova, Natalia Kushnir and Victoria Beaule contributed to this report.

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(RAFAH GOVERNORATE, Gaza) — Israel announced Saturday that its military has completed the establishment of a new security corridor in the Gaza Strip, effectively taking full control over the southern city of Rafah — which Israel had ordered evacuated — and cutting it off from the rest of the Palestinian territory.

“The IDF has now completed the takeover of the Morag axis that crosses Gaza between Rafah and Khan Yunis and makes the entire area between the Philadelphi axis and Morag part of the Israeli security zone,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. “IDF activity will soon expand strongly to additional locations throughout most of Gaza and you will have to evacuate the fighting zones.”

Over 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel ended the ceasefire on March 18. In total, nearly 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.

Earlier this month, the Israel Defense Forces issued evacuation orders for large swaths of war-torn Gaza, including parts of Khan Yunis and almost all of Rafah.

The IDF has been expanding its operations in Gaza since it ended the ceasefire in March, earlier this month saying it will capture extensive territories. On April 2, Katz said they will “seize large areas that will be annexed to the security zones of the State of Israel.”

Earlier this month, the Israel Defense Forces issued evacuation orders for large swaths of war-torn Gaza, including parts of Khan Yunis and almost all of Rafah.

This came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the establishment of the so-called Morag Corridor, describing it as “a second Philadelphi Corridor” that would further divide Gaza and increase pressure on Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages.

The so-called Philadelphi Corridor refers to a narrow strip of land along Gaza’s border with Egypt that has been under Israeli control since May 2024.

The IDF said Israeli troops were operating in some areas between Rafah and Khan Yunis where they had never operated previously and that the strategy behind establishing the new security corridor was to separate Hamas fighters in Rafah from Khan Yunis, spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said at a press briefing last week.

The IDF said on Saturday that it had “eliminated dozens of terrorists, dismantled underground tunnel routes and Hamas terror infrastructure, and completed the encirclement of Rafah,” in the last week and a half.

In an address to Palestinians in Gaza following the completion of the Morag axis, Katz said the IDF is already continuing to expand its territory in Gaza.

“This is the last moment to remove Hamas and release all the hostages and bring about an end to the war – IDF activity will soon expand vigorously to additional locations throughout most of Gaza,” he said.

“In northern Gaza, residents are also evacuating in Beit Hanoun and other neighborhoods and the area is being taken, expanding the security zone and in the Netzarim Corridor. IDF activity will soon expand strongly to additional locations throughout most of Gaza and you will have to evacuate the fighting zones,” Katz said.

Last week, the IDF said at a press briefing that the only thing that can halt the IDF’s advance in Gaza is the release of hostages.

Katz reiterated support for U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to forcibly expel Palestinians in Gaza and said they are working toward making it possible for Palestinians in Gaza to “voluntarily move to various countries around the world.”

In February, Trump departed from decades of U.S. foreign policy, announcing that the U.S. would “clean out” the Gaza Strip and rebuild it, saying Palestinians living there should leave — a statement that the United Nations and allies, including France and Germany, have called a violation of international law and said it amounts to ethnic cleansing.

Trump at one point threatened to withdraw aid to Egypt and Jordan if they didn’t agree to take in Palestinians, though less than 24 hours later, he said, “I don’t have to threaten that, I don’t think. I think we’re above that.”

Egypt and Jordan have both firmly opposed taking in forcibly displaced Palestinians.

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