Jerusalem – Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip is « expanding to crush and clean the area » of the militants and seize « large areas that will be added to the security areas of the state of Israel, » said the Minister of Defense Israel Katz in a statement written on Wednesday. The Israeli government has long maintained a buffer area just inside Gaza along its safety fence, which has been expanded very much since the War with Hamas It was caused by the groups on October 7, 2023 terrorist attack.
Israel says that the buffer area is necessary for its safety, but the Palestinians see it as a landing that further reduces the narrow coastal territory, which has around 2 million people.
Katz did not specify which areas of Gaza would be captured in the extended operation, which said that it includes the « extensive evacuation » of the population in the fighting areas. His statement took place after the Israeli military ordered all civilians to evacuate the city of southern Rafah and nearby areas, an order that took place approximately two weeks after Israel left a cessation of the United States, Qatar and Egypt and resumed his bombing of Palestinian territory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel aims to maintain an open but unspecified security control of the Gaza Strip after reaching his goal of crushing Hamas.
« The only way to end the war »?
Katz asked Gaza residents to « expel hamas and return all hostages. » Hamas, a terrorist organization designated by the United States and Israeli, is still 59 captives, of which 24 are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in cessation agreements or other offers.
« This is the only way to end the war, » Katz said.
The Families hostage forum, which represents the majority of the family of captives and has long been driven by an agreement to end the war and bring their loved ones at home, did not agree with this evaluation. The forum issued a statement saying that families were « horrified to wake up this morning in the announcement of the Minister of Defense on the extension of military operations in Gaza. »
The group said that the Israeli government « has an obligation to release Hamas’ 59 hostages, to pursue all possible channels to advance an agreement for launch, » and emphasized that each passing day puts the lives of loved ones at risk.
« Their lives hang in balance as more and more Disrupting details are still emerging On the horrific conditions in which they are: chained, abused and with a desperate need for medical care, « said the Forum, who asked the Trump administration and other mediators to continue to pressure Hamas to release the hostages.
« Our highest priority must be an immediate agreement to return home all hostages, rehabilitation life and murders for adequate burial, and end this war, » the group said.
Death and Travel to Gaza 16 days after Israel resumed the war
Israel continued to go to the Gaza Strip 16 days after leaving the fire, with the air attacks overnight, and killed 17 people in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to hospital officials. Nasser Hospital officials said that the bodies of 12 people killed in an air attack during the night that were taken to the hospital included five women, one of them pregnant and two children. Officials of the European Gaza Hospital said they received five bodies of people killed in two separate aerial attacks.
Hani Alshaer/Anadolu/Getty 
The war was caused by the terrorist attack by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251 others as a return to Gaza.
The Israeli retaliation war in Gaza has killed more than 50,400 Palestinians, including at least 1,066 murders since the cessation of fire was undone on March 18, according to the Hamas de Gaza Ministry of Health, which does not differ between civilian victims and fighters.
Israel claims to have killed about 20,000 militants in Gaza, but has not provided evidence.
On March 23, more than 140,000 people had been displaced again since the end of the cessation of the fire, according to the last estimate of the United Nations, and it is estimated that tens of thousands have fled under evacuation orders last week. Each time families moved during the war, they had to leave behind objects and start almost from scratch, finding food, water and shelter. Now, without going into fuel due to an Israeli blockade, transport is even more difficult, so many flee with almost nothing.
« With each trip, we are tortured a thousand times, » said the former university professor Ihab Suliman, who spoke of having to flee eight times during the war with this family.
Hanadi Dahud, fleeing Rafah, said he was struggling to find basic elements.
« Where are we going? » She said. « We just want to live. We are tired. There are long queues waiting for bread and charitable kitchens. »
United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday that the numerous UN Humanitarian Aid Agencies were « at the end of our supplies », forcing the World Food Program to close the 25 of its bakeries in Gaza due to lack of flour and fuel cuisine.
« The PMA does not close its bakeries for fun, » said Dujarric, adding that the food situation remained « very critical », as Israel closed all crossings in Gaza a month ago, cutting almost every humanitarian deliveries to the enclave.
Cogat, the Israeli military body in charge of civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, said on Tuesday that about 450,000 tons of help entered Gaza during the cessation of fire. Cogat stated that at least part of the UN help and its humanitarian partners were diverting to Hamas.
Dujarric rejected this by saying: « The UN has maintained a chain of custody and a very good chain of custody, in all the help. »
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