Israel plans to establish another security corridor that divides the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
"We are conquering the Morag corridor," he said in a video address.
Morag was once an Israeli settlement in the south of the Palestinian territory. According to Israeli media, the route would separate the city of Rafah from the city of Khan Younis.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had previously announced the conquest of extensive areas that are to become Israeli "security zones."
Netanyahu said the division of the Gaza Strip increases the pressure on Hamas until the Palestinian Islamist group releases the remaining hostages.
The Israeli military already controls a large part of the so-called Netzarim Corridor, a strategically important route that divides the coastal strip into a northern and a southern half.
"Tonight we have shifted up a gear in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli armed forces are capturing areas, attacking terrorists," Netanyahu said.