Pressing Assault, Israel Shifts the Goal Posts in Gaza

Israel’s leaders have articulated various goals for their expanding ground and air assault in Gaza, spreading confusion over how the objectives might be achieved and on what terms the renewed campaign might end.They agree on the primary objective — to squeeze Hamas into releasing the dozens of hostages still being held in the enclave, with negotiations at an impasse.On Thursday, the military issued more evacuation warnings for residents of neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City ahead of operations there.But other goals have since emerged: On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel had “moved up a gear” in Gaza, capturing more territory, hitting militants and carving up the coastal strip.And he also repeated his ultimate goal of crushing Hamas’s military capabilities and terminating the group’s rule there, which hasn’t happened despite over a year of war.The Israeli defense minister, Israel Katz, said the military was seizing swaths of territory to protect its forces and border towns, suggesting a longer-term presence in the enclave.

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