Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz yesterday announced a major expansion of a military operation in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, saying the army would seize “large areas” of the Palestinian territory.
The defense chief in a statement said that Israel would expand its presence in Gaza to “destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure.”
The expanded operation would “seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones,” he said, without saying how much territory Israel would take.
Photo: AFP
The announcement comes after he said last week the Israeli military would soon “operate with full force” in additional parts of Hamas-run Gaza.
In February, Katz announced plans to set up an agency for the “voluntary departure” of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
That came after Israel expressed a commitment to a proposal from US President Donald Trump to take over the territory after relocating its 2.4 million Palestinian inhabitants.
Israel resumed intense bombing of Gaza on March 18 and then launched a new ground offensive, ending a nearly two-month ceasefire with Hamas.
Gaza’s civil defense agency said at least 15 people, including children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on homes in Khan Yunis and the Nuseirat refugee camp at dawn yesterday.
The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said on Tuesday that 1,042 people have been killed in the territory since Israel resumed military operations.
The idea of forcing Gazans to leave the devastated territory for neighboring countries, including Egypt and Jordan, was first floated by Trump.
It has since been seized on by right-wing Israeli politicians, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to implement it.
On Sunday, the prime minister offered to let Hamas leaders leave Gaza, but demanded the group abandon its arms.
Netanyahu has rejected domestic criticism that his government — one of the most right-wing in Israel’s history — was not doing enough to secure the release of hostages.
“We are negotiating under fire... We can see cracks beginning to appear” in Hamas’ positions during ceasefire talks, he told his Cabinet.
In the “final stage,” Netanyahu said “Hamas will lay down its weapons. Its leaders will be allowed to leave.”
Hamas has expressed a willingness to step down from ruling Gaza, but has warned its weapons are a “red line.”
Egypt, Qatar and the US are attempting to again broker a ceasefire and secure the release of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
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