The Israeli military expanded its ground offensive in Gaza, and killed at least 80 Palestinians in a new wave of strikes Thursday. Hamas fired its first rockets since Israel broke a recent ceasefire.
and TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli military expanded its ground offensive in Gaza, and killed at least 80 Palestinians in a new wave of strikes Thursday, according to Gaza health officials. Hamas fired its first rockets since Israel broke a recent ceasefire and resumed heavy airstrikes on Gaza this week.
Scenes that were familiar from earlier in the war once again returned in Gaza: Israeli evacuation orders, partial prohibitions on movement between north and south Gaza, and airstrikes that have killed a total of more than 500 people — including more than 200 children — over the last several days, according to Gaza health officials. Israel said the return to war is in order to pressure Hamas to release more Israeli hostages.
Hamas wants the original agreement to proceed, whereby it releases all living hostages and Israel agrees to permanently end the war, which Israel’s far-right government refuses to do.
Israel’s military said it was launching a “targeted ground operation” against Hamas infrastructure and weapons sites. It sent troops to the coastal area of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, a residential area that had already been largely destroyed in an Israeli offensive before the ceasefire.
Palestinian families who had returned to live among the ruins of the devastated neighborhood during the ceasefire once again fled, piling mattresses and belongings on donkey carts and escaping on muddy roads.
Israel said the aim of the new offensive was to expand a “security perimeter” buffer zone that separates Gaza from southern Israel. Troops also returned to areas where they had retreated in the ceasefire, like the Netzarim corridor, a large strip of land the military had previously taken over dividing Gaza’s north and south.
In a video addressed to Gaza residents, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he was issuing a “final warning”, demanding Hamas’ hostages be released and the group be removed from control in Gaza.
“What comes next will be much harsher, and you will bear the full consequences”, he said, speaking in Hebrew with Arabic subtitles.
