Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has unveiled a bold and sweeping expansion of military operations in Gaza, signaling a significant shift in Israel’s security strategy. This move involves seizing vast areas of land, which, according to Katz, will be "incorporated into Israel’s security zones." Alongside this, a large-scale evacuation of Gaza’s population from combat zones is also in motion, though specific details remain undisclosed.
Intensified Military Action & Land Seizure
Katz’s statement has made it clear: Israel is expanding its military campaign to "crush and clear" terrorist infrastructure while asserting control over substantial portions of Gaza. The Israeli military’s spokesperson for Arabic media has already issued directives, urging residents in southern Rafah to evacuate their homes and move north. This signals a potential ground incursion or heightened operations in the region.
While this expansion has yet to be visibly implemented on the ground, the past 24 hours have seen relentless Israeli airstrikes, leading to dozens of casualties, including at least nine children when a UN shelter was targeted. Local hospitals in Gaza have reported that at least 17 people were killed in overnight airstrikes in the southern part of the strip. Among them, 13 individuals—women and children included—had been sheltering in a residential home after being displaced from Rafah.
Netanyahu’s Firm Stance: Pressure Until Hostages Are Released
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reinforced the military escalation through a video speech, vowing to continue increasing pressure on Gaza until all hostages are released.
“We are also doing something else: We are seizing the Morag Corridor. This will be the second Philadelphi, an additional Philadelphi Corridor,” Netanyahu declared.
For context, the Morag Corridor references a former Israeli settlement that once lay between Khan Younis and Rafah, while the Philadelphi Corridor is a critical 8.7-mile strip of land along Gaza’s border with Egypt. By dividing Gaza and incrementally increasing pressure, Netanyahu believes Hamas will be forced to negotiate the hostages' release.
Israeli Military Preparing for Ground Offensive?
An Israeli official, along with a second source familiar with the matter, disclosed last month that Israel had been strategizing for a possible large-scale ground offensive. This operation would potentially deploy tens of thousands of troops to seize and occupy significant sections of Gaza.
Interestingly, Katz’s latest statement did not confirm whether additional ground troops would be mobilized, yet the scale of planned military action suggests it remains a possibility. As airstrikes persist, with the latest targeting a UNRWA clinic used as a shelter in Jabalya refugee camp, the situation continues to escalate. Israel’s military asserted that it was attacking Hamas terrorists in the vicinity and claimed measures were taken to mitigate civilian casualties. However, the UN maintains that one of its facilities was directly hit.
Internal Dissent: Growing Protests & Hostage Families' Anguish
Beyond the battlefield, there’s rising unrest among Palestinians in Gaza, as thousands have taken to the streets in protest against both Hamas and Israel’s military actions. In response, Katz urged Palestinians to overthrow Hamas and secure the release of Israeli hostages, stating:
“This is the only way to stop the war.”
Despite the mounting calls for peace, Israel resumed its offensive two weeks ago, effectively ending a two-month ceasefire. This renewed aggression follows Israel’s complete blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza and a warning that it will maintain a long-term presence in the enclave until all remaining 24 hostages believed to be alive are freed.
Meanwhile, the families of the hostages have expressed devastation over the military escalation. The forum representing them released a statement saying they were "horrified to wake up" to the news that Israel is intensifying its operations rather than negotiating for their loved ones’ release.
“Instead of securing the release of the hostages through an agreement and ending the war, the Israeli government is sending more soldiers into Gaza to fight in the same places they have fought time and again,” the forum’s statement read.
Humanitarian Crisis Worsens: Food Running Out
As war rages on, Gaza is plunging deeper into a humanitarian catastrophe. The United Nations and local officials have sounded the alarm: every single bakery in Gaza has shut down due to an acute shortage of fuel and flour. Abdel Nasser Al-Ajrami, head of the local Bakery Owners’ Association, has warned that these closures will accelerate famine across the enclave.
The region’s fragile ceasefire crumbled on March 18, when Israel resumed strikes and Netanyahu pledged to escalate military pressure on Hamas. This war, which began on October 7, 2023, was triggered by Hamas’s deadly surprise attack on southern Israel, which left 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage. Since then, Gaza’s health ministry reports that over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations.
Renewed Diplomatic Efforts: A Ceasefire on the Table?
Despite the continued fighting, there are renewed diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire. Egypt and Qatar have intensified mediation between Israel and Hamas. A new proposal, agreed to by Hamas on Sunday and countered by Israel on Monday, offers a potential path to a temporary halt in hostilities.
Egypt’s plan includes the release of five hostages, including American-Israeli Edan Alexander, in exchange for a renewed ceasefire. This aligns with a prior proposal from U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, though the details regarding the possible return of additional hostage remains remain unclear.
What’s Next?
With Israel pressing forward militarily while diplomatic efforts unfold in the background, the future of Gaza remains uncertain. The next few weeks could determine whether Israel moves ahead with a full-scale ground invasion or if a breakthrough in negotiations leads to another truce. Meanwhile, civilians in Gaza continue to endure relentless bombardment, starvation, and displacement, with no clear end in sight to the devastating conflict.
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