The fighting was centered around the Netzarim Corridor, a road built by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) which runs through the middle of the Strip and was used for launching military operations against Hamas and its allies.

[15] On 24 November, it was reported that the IDF would "continue administrative and logistical movements on the Netzarim axis and coastal road in the northern Gaza Strip".

One IDF officer reported that troops have consistently found evidence of Palestinian militant activity, such as weapons and explosives, in almost every building they search near the area.

[12] During the 1 October Iranian airstrikes on Israel, Iran claimed that some missiles they launched hit IDF positions in the Netzarim Corridor.

However, the release of the hostage was later arranged and Israel opened up the western part of the Corridor on the morning of 27 January, with large crowds of displaced Gazans returning to the north.

[43][44] American and Egyptian security contractors, working under an Egyptian-Qatari committee tasked with implementing the ceasefire, began inspecting vehicles moving through the area.