Israeli operation in Gaza expanding to seize 'large areas,' defense minister says
LONDON -- Israel's renewed military operation in the Gaza Strip "is expanding to crush and cleanse the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure and seize large areas that will be annexed to the security zones of the state of Israel," Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Wednesday.
The minister said that a "large-scale evacuation of the Gazan population from the fighting areas" is accompanying the expanded military campaign in the strip.
"I call on the residents of Gaza to act now to eliminate Hamas and return all the kidnapped," Katz added. "This is the only way to end the war."
Israel renewed its assault on neighboring Gaza in March after a pause of nearly two months, during which time 33 Israeli hostages were released by Hamas in exchange for some 1,800 Palestinian prisoners, according to The Associated Press.
Israel is demanding the immediate release of all remaining hostages -- consisting of 59 people, 24 of whom are still believed to be alive -- who were abducted to Gaza during the Hamas-led surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that he ordered renewed strikes after Hamas refused Israeli demands to free half of the remaining hostages as a precondition for extending the ceasefire, the first phase of which expired on March 1. The bombardment resumed with "full force," the prime minister said on March 18, adding that further negotiations "will continue only under fire."
Israel's renewed operations in Gaza sparked condemnation from regional powers including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said the resumption was "fully coordinated with Washington."
Israeli leaders have consistently expressed their intention to fully destroy Hamas and remove the Palestinian militant group from power in Gaza. Israel intends to retain security control over the territory as part of any post-war settlement, Netanyahu, Katz and other top officials have said.
Katz last month also announced the creation of a new directorate within the Israeli Ministry of Defense to facilitate the "voluntary emigration" out of strip. The directorate's work aligns with U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion that Palestinians be resettled outside of Gaza, Katz said in February.
Palestinian, United Nations and human rights organizations have suggested that the U.S.-Israeli resettlement policy is akin to "ethnic cleansing." Israel has denied such allegations.
Gaza has been devastated by the war that was sparked by the Oct. 7 terror attack, in which some 1,200 people were killed in Israel, according to the Israeli government.
Israel's subsequent operations in Gaza have killed more than 50,300 people and injured more than 114,000, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health. More than 1,000 people have been killed since the resumption of Israeli strikes on March 18, the ministry said.
ABC News' Morgan Winsor contributed to this report
