Israel orders army to ‘seize additional territories’ in Gaza
Israel’s defense minister told the army to “catch other areas of Gaza” and threatened to permanently occupy parts of it if Hamas did not release all remaining hostages.
Israeli Katz said the military will “continue ground operations in Gaza as the intensity becomes increasingly high until all hostages are returned to the hostages.
It is believed that 24 of the 59 hostages still in Gaza are still alive, but their fate is still in balance after the second phase of the ceasefire deal.
Since the end of January, Israel has resumed ground movements and a fragile ceasefire that bombed Gaza, killing hundreds of people.
Israel accused Hamas of refusing to propose an expanded ceasefire. Hamas said this “interacts with mediators with responsibility and seriousness.”
But, Kaz said in a statement Friday: “Hamas increasingly refuses, the more it will lose Israel’s territory.”
Kaz added that Israel still agreed to the proposal, which was proposed by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, “to release all kidnapped lives and deaths in advance, and release them in two phases, and cease fire in two phases.”
“We will strengthen the battle through strikes in the air, ocean and land, as well as attacks that expand ground movements until the hostages are released and Hamas is defeated,” Katz wrote.
The Defense Secretary also said Israel will “implement a voluntary transfer plan of U.S. President Trump as a resident of Gaza.”
Trump said he hopes the United States will take over and rebuild the Gaza Strip while permanently eliminating its 2 million Palestinian population.
The Palestinian Authority and Hamas said Gaza “do not sell”, while the United Nations warned that under international law, the displacement of civilians in any occupied territories is strictly prohibited and “get involved in ethnic cleansing.”
In the months of negotiations led by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, saw three phases of proposed ceasefire agreements. Israel and Hamas failed to reach a consensus on how to hold a truce in the first phase.
The plan stagnated when the United States and Israel proposed to expand Phase I. Hamas rejected the change and said Israel’s “escape from the agreement” was a “blatant attempt.”
The ceasefire was broken on Tuesday Israel launches a large number of air strikes Hamas-Operating the Ministry of Health said that in the Gaza Strip, more than 430 people were killed in two days. Thursday, Hamas launches three rockets in Tel Aviv.
Israeli government spokesman David Mencer accused Hamas of resuming violence, saying the group “rejected all hostage agreements.”
Israel said Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are still alive.
Hamas denied that it was responsible for delaying negotiations and said it was “still deeply involved” and “interacted with a mediator with a sense of responsibility and seriousness.”
“Witkov’s proposal and other different ideas are proposed to ensure that prisoners exchange agreements ensure the release of prisoners, end the war and obtain evacuation” (from Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip).
Katz also said in the statement that civilians will evacuate from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targets.
Previous evacuation orders have already caused panic through Palestinian families, many of whom are repeatedly displaced, with few remaining security options.
Israel entered Gaza in early March to put pressure on Hamas. It accused Hamas of directing the provisions as part of its strategy against Israel, although no evidence was provided for the claim.
The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the unprecedented cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, with about 1,200 people killed and 251 taken hostages.
Hamas-Operating Ministry of Health said that since then, more than 49,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and mass damage to homes and infrastructure on the streets.
