After five years of closure, the IDF has approved the reopening of Road 25, the main access route to Nahal Oz.
The decision comes following the removal of the anti-tank threat in the area, allowing full traffic from the Sa’ad Junction to Nahal Oz.
The road had previously been closed due to the threat of antitank fire from the Gaza Strip. Its reopening follows the IDF’s continuous control in recent months of Hill 70—a strategic ridge overlooking Nahal Oz, which previously hosted the eastern part of the Shujaiya neighborhood. Today, the ridge is completely destroyed and under full IDF control.
In parallel with the road's reopening, the IDF has begun removing the tall concrete barriers that were installed in recent years around the Gaza envelope, primarily in the area between Nahal Oz and the Gaza border. These walls were erected as protection against ongoing anti-tank threats, some even placed before the outbreak of the war in October 2023.
The focal point of the security assessment was Hill 70, also known as “Ali Montar Ridge,” which has a direct view of the northern Gaza envelope communities.
Security officials quoted by i24 News stated: “The IDF’s presence in the area and the extent of the destruction of infrastructure on Hill 70 is so comprehensive that even a terrorist attempting an attack would not succeed.” They added, “It can be said that the threat has been eliminated.”