Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a major expansion of military operations in Hamas-run Gaza, saying the army would seize "large areas" of the Palestinian territory. Katz said Israel would bolster its presence in the Gaza Strip to "destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure". The operation would "seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones", he said in a statement, without specifying how much territory.
A group representing families of hostages held in Gaza said they were "horrified" by Katz's announcement, fearing the goal of freeing the captives had been "pushed to the bottom of the priority list". "Has it been decided to sacrifice the hostages for the sake of 'territorial gains?'" the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. "Instead of freeing the hostages through a deal and putting an end to the war, the Israeli government is sending more soldiers to Gaza, to fight in the same areas where they have fought again and again."
Katz last week warned the military would soon "operate with full force" in more parts of Gaza. In February, he announced plans for an agency to oversee the "voluntary departure" of Palestinians from Gaza. That followed Israel's backing of a proposal from US President Donald Trump for the United States to take over the territory after relocating its 2.4 million Palestinian inhabitants.
Israel resumed intense bombing of Gaza on March 18 before launching a new ground offensive, ending a nearly two-month ceasefire. Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli air strikes killed at least 15 people, including children, in Khan Yunis and the Nuseirat refugee camp at dawn Wednesday.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Tuesday that 1,042 people had been killed in the territory since Israel resumed military operations, bringing the overall toll since the war began on October 7, 2023, to at least 50,399 people, the majority of them civilians.
On Sunday, Netanyahu offered to let Hamas leaders leave Gaza but demanded the group abandon its arms. The Israeli leader has rejected domestic criticism that his government - one of the most right-wing in Israel's history - was not doing enough to secure the hostages' release. "We are negotiating under fire... We can see cracks beginning to appear" in Hamas's 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 signalled willingness to step down from ruling Gaza but calls disarmament a "red line".
Egypt, Qatar and the United States are attempting to again broker a ceasefire and secure the release of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. A senior Hamas official said Saturday the group had approved a new ceasefire proposal and urged Israel to back it. Netanyahu's office confirmed receiving the proposal and said Israel had submitted a counteroffer. The details remain undisclosed.
