Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has declared that the military intends to broaden its current offensive throughout much of Gaza, urging residents to evacuate from active conflict areas.
“Shortly, IDF operations will become more intense and extend to various regions across most of Gaza, necessitating your evacuation from the combat zones,” Mr. Katz stated in a message directed at Gaza’s residents, simultaneously announcing that troops had successfully secured a corridor in the southern region of the territory.
The Israeli military confirmed today that forces have encircled Rafah, a city in Gaza, as part of a strategy to capture additional areas within the enclave, alongside significant population evacuations.
Since resuming operations in Gaza on March 18, the military has issued multiple evacuation notices to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Rafah, forcing them into increasingly confined spaces bordered by the sea.
As a result, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have evacuated Rafah, which spans 60 square kilometers and lies adjacent to Egypt to the south.
“In the last 24 hours, troops from the 36th Division have successfully established the Morag route, creating a separation between Rafah and Khan Younis,” the military reported.
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The Israeli offensive in Gaza commenced following an attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages taken, according to Israeli figures.
Since then, over 50,000 Palestinians have reportedly died due to the offensive, as per the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. The majority of the population has been displaced, and vast areas of Gaza lie in ruins.
Israel resumed its offensive in March after effectively ending a ceasefire that had been in place since January.
The military campaign is set to continue until all remaining 59 hostages are released and Hamas is eliminated from Gaza.
Hamas has stated it will only release hostages as part of a larger agreement to conclude the conflict and has refused demands to disarm.
A Hamas delegation was anticipated to arrive in Cairo over the weekend to discuss new proposals for a truce, according to an insider from the group.
