Israel says it will expand its attack through most Gaza
The Minister of Defense in Israel announced his military will soon “strongly” expanding his attack throughout Gaza.
Israel Katz also said that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had completed the acquisition of a “security zone” in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, and the separation of the cities of Rafah and Khan Yunis.
The Israel Army also issued the evacuation orders of Khan Yunis and the surrounding areas, saying that it was preparing to carry out the strikes in response to the launch of the projectiles from Gaza, which Hamas claimed responsibility.
Israel resumed its attack against Hamas on March 18 after the ceasefire collapsed for two months.
Since then, it has seized large areas of Gaza, which resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Ghazan again.
The army has already seized lands that operate along the borders of the entire Palestinian territories, which it described as a buffer zone to prevent attacks.
Israeli officials said that the ongoing attack aims to pressure Hamas to liberate the remaining 59 hostages in Gaza – 24 of whom believe they are alive.
On Saturday, Katz said that the Israeli Defense Army had completed the acquisition of the “Morge axis” – referring to a previous Jewish settlement between Rafah and Khan Yunis.
He said this “makes the entire region between the Philadelphia axis and a mauar part of the Israeli security zone.”
The acquisition of the corridor effectively cuts the southern city of Rafah from Khan Yunis. A rack is approximately five of Gaza.
Katz also warned that “the activity of the Israeli Defense Army will soon expand to additional locations throughout Gaza” and people in these areas will have to “evacuate the fighting areas.”
“This is the last minute to remove Hamas, release the hostages, and end the war,” he said.
He added that the northern Gaza regions, including the city of Beit Hannon and in the Netzarim Corridor – which is cut through the center of Gaza – was also evacuated so that a “security zone” can also be expanded there.
“In the north of Gaza, too – in Beit Hannon and other neighborhoods – the residents are evacuated, the area is seized and the security zone is expanded, including in the Netzarim Corridor,” Katz said.
Upon approaching the comment, the IDF referred the BBC to the statements of the Ministry of Defense.
Hamas said, in quotations cited by the News Agency, that the attack not only “kills civilians”, but also makes the hostage of the hostages “uncertain.”
The United Nations Human Rights Office warned last month that evacuation orders failed to comply with international law, accusing Israel of not taking any measures to provide residency for those affected, or ensuring health, health, safety and nutrition.
The government of Israel said that the evacuation of civilians to protect them from harm and use by Hamas “human shields” in a violation of international law.
After the Katz announcement, the Israeli army issued an evacuation of the residents of the southern city of Khan Yunis and its surrounding areas, saying that he was preparing to respond to the projectiles that were launched from Gaza earlier on Saturday.
The Israeli Defense Army said that its air defenses had intercepted three projectiles that were launched from Gaza towards Israeli territory. Hamas’s military wing later claimed responsibility for the attack. No injuries were reported.
In Gaza, the Hamas -running Ministry of Health said from 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Saturday, 21 people were killed during the previous 24 hours, and 64 sramped.
The Israeli army launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack across the border on October 7, 2023, where about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken into account.
More than 50,933 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health in the region.
The ministry said that among these, 1563 have been killed since March 18, when Israel has restored its attack in the Gaza Strip.
