Israeli Defense Minister Katz said the military will expand its operations in Gaza and occupy “large areas” of the territory.
Katz said in a statement Wednesday that the expanded operation aims to “destroy and eliminate areas of terrorist and terrorist infrastructure.” He said the confiscated areas would be “included into Israeli security zones.”
He said this would require a massive evacuation of Palestinians and urged the population to eliminate Hamas and return to Israeli hostages. He said this was the only way to end the war.
It is reported that the Israeli military has started an overnight ground operation in Rafah.
The news comes last week warning that the military will soon “go out” in other parts of Gaza.
Israel launched a new Gaza offensive on March 18, accusing Hamas of rejecting a new proposal to extend the ceasefire and release 59 hostages still in Gaza.
Hamas, in turn, accused Israel of violating the original deal they agreed to in January.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated sharply in recent weeks, with Israel refusing to allow aid from the Gaza Strip since March 2 – the longest aid barrier since the war began.
Last month, the United Nations announced it would reduce operations in Gaza, and one day later, eight Palestinian medical staff, six civil defense first responders and one UN staff member were killed by Israeli forces in southern Gaza.
The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the unprecedented cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, with about 1,200 people killed and 251 taken hostages.
According to the Hamas Party’s Health Ministry, more than 50,399 people died in Gaza during the subsequent war.
