Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the military is dividing Gaza and “seizing territory” as a means to compel Hamas to release hostages held in the Palestinian region.
The military is “dissecting the (Gaza) Strip and progressively increasing pressure so that (Hamas) will return our hostages,” Mr. Netanyahu noted in a statement, adding that Israel “is seizing territory, striking terrorists, and dismantling infrastructure.”
He also mentioned that the army is “taking control of the ‘Morag Axis’,” a section of land anticipated to lie between the southern governorates of Khan Yunis and Rafah.
The name of this axis originates from a former Israeli settlement that was evacuated during Israel’s disengagement from Gaza in 2005.
Mr. Netanyahu emphasized that Israel will persist in applying military pressure until Hamas releases the remaining hostages.
Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s unprecedented attack on 7 October 2023, 58 remain captive in Gaza, with 34 confirmed dead by the Israeli military.
Israel resumed significant airstrikes on the Palestinian territory on 18 March, following a breakdown in discussions regarding subsequent actions in a six-week ceasefire.
Since 18 March, at least 1,066 individuals have died in Gaza, according to the latest figures provided by the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
In total, 50,423 individuals have lost their lives since the beginning of the conflict ignited by Hamas’s October 2023 assault, according to the ministry’s statistics, which the United Nations considers reliable.
Seize ‘large areas’
Earlier, Israel announced plans to expand its military operations and seize “large areas” of Gaza, where rescuers reported 34 fatalities due to Israeli strikes, including attacks on a UN facility.
Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel would reinforce its military presence in the Palestinian territory to “destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure.”
The operation aims to “seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones,” he remarked in a statement, without providing specifics on the extent of the territory.
Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that at least 19 people were killed, including nine children, when an Israeli strike “targeted a UNRWA (UN agency for Palestinian refugees) building housing a medical clinic in Jabalia refugee camp.”
The Israeli army confirmed that it struck Hamas militants “inside a command and control center” in Jabalia, north Gaza. They also acknowledged to AFP that the building contained a UN clinic.
The Palestinian foreign ministry, located in the occupied West Bank, condemned the “massacre at the UNRWA clinic in Jabalia” and urged for “serious international pressure” to halt Israel’s expanding offensive.
Israel has previously conducted strikes on UNRWA facilities that were sheltering displaced persons in Gaza, where conflict has persisted for most of the last 18 months.
The Israeli military accuses Hamas of utilizing school buildings as hideouts where numerous Gazans have sought refuge—a claim that the Palestinian militant organization denies.
Israel also carried out deadly air strikes in southern and central Gaza. Civil defense reported that early morning strikes resulted in at least 13 deaths in Khan Yunis and two in Nuseirat refugee camp.
Mr. Katz warned last week that the military would soon “operate with full force” in more areas of Gaza.
In February, he announced plans for an agency to oversee the “voluntary departure” of Palestinians from the region.
This followed Israel’s endorsement of a proposal from US President Donald Trump to have the United States assume control of the territory after relocating its 2.4 million Palestinian inhabitants. This proposal sparked outrage among Gazans and drew significant international condemnation.
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‘Horrified’
An Israeli group representing families of hostages still detained in Gaza expressed being “horrified” by Mr. Katz’s announcement regarding the escalation of military operations.
“Has it been decided to sacrifice the hostages for the sake of ‘territorial gains?'” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum queried in a statement.
Mr. Netanyahu has dismissed claims that his government is inadequately addressing the hostages’ release.
“We are negotiating under fire… We can observe cracks starting to show” in Hamas’s positions during ceasefire discussions, he remarked to his cabinet on Sunday.
Hunger is becoming a growing problem for people in Gaza
‘They’re all closed’
As hunger becomes increasingly dire, bakeries in Gaza City have shut down amid worsening shortages of flour and sugar since Israel blocked the entry of aid supplies on 2 March.
“I’ve been going from bakery to bakery all morning, but none of them are operational; they’re all closed,” Amina al-Sayed told AFP.
On Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu offered to allow Hamas leaders to leave Gaza but insisted that the group must relinquish its arms.
Hamas has indicated a willingness to relinquish power in Gaza, yet regards disarmament as a “red line.”
Egypt, Qatar, and the United States are working to broker a new ceasefire and ensure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.
A senior Hamas official stated on Saturday that the group had approved a new ceasefire proposal, while Netanyahu’s office confirmed that Israel had submitted a counter-offer. The specifics remain undisclosed.
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited Jerusalem’s contentious Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, drawing condemnation from both Hamas and neighboring Jordan, which serves as the custodian of the site.
Mr. Ben Gvir has repeatedly challenged the long-standing convention that permits Jews to visit but not pray at the compound, igniting fears among Palestinians about Israeli intentions.
