Israel Announces Plans to Seize Large Areas of Gaza as It Expands Offensive Against Hamas
Israel’s defense minister announced on Wednesday an expansion of the military offensive in Gaza against Hamas, including plans to seize “large areas” of the enclave.The minister, Israel Katz, said newly captured territory would be “added to the security zones” that the military currently maintains in Gaza.He added that the expanding operation involved “wide-scale evacuations of Gaza’s population from combat zones.”The remarks — which echoed a similar threat last month from Mr.
Katz — appeared to be an attempt to further pressure Hamas amid efforts to restore a shattered cease-fire.Both sides have been speaking to mediators about a potential deal to restore the truce, but a breakthrough has not been achieved.It remained far from clear whether either side could force the other to accept its terms for an agreement.
Hamas is demanding an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal in exchange for the release of all hostages.This week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel laid out what appeared to be his demands for postwar Gaza — all of which are likely to be non-starters for Hamas.They include Hamas’s laying down its arms, comprehensive Israeli security control in Gaza and the implementation of President Trump’s proposal that Gazans leave en masse.“That’s the plan.
We aren’t hiding this.We’re ready to talk about it at any time,” Mr.
Netanyahu said in remarks distributed by his office on Sunday.The Israeli military resumed its attacks against Hamas in Gaza on March 18 after Israel and Hamas failed to reach an agreement to extend a cease-fire that started in January.More than 1,000 people in Gaza have been killed since the truce’s collapse, according to the Gaza health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.Israeli forces have since advanced on the ground in central Gaza, taking over much of a key road that divides the enclave in half, as well as in the southern city of Rafah.The military h...