Israel to expand the Gaza military operation with a wide evacuation

Israel announced a major expansion in the military operations in Gaza on Wednesday, saying that large areas of the pocket will be seized and added to its security areas, accompanied by a large scale of the population.

Israeli leaders have been encouraged through the signs of protest in Gaza against Hamas, the armed group that has controlled the pocket since 2007, and the expanded operation appeared at least partially aimed at increasing civil pressure on its leaders.

In a statement, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the evacuation will happen from the areas where there is a fight, while Ghazan urges the elimination of Hamas and the return of Israeli hostages as the only way to end the war.

The Israeli army had already issued warnings to evacuate Ghazan who live all over the southern city of Rafiha and towards the city of Khan Yunis, and they were asking them to move to the Maousy area on the beach, which was previously appointed a humanitarian area.

The Israel Army Radio said that the thirty -sixth division, which was sent to the southern leadership area last month to prepare for operations in Gaza, will participate in the operation.

The Katz statement did not clarify the amount of lands that Israel intends to seize.

The Israeli forces have already established an important buffer zone inside Gaza, expanding an area around the edges of the pocket before the war and adds a large security zone in the alleged Netzarim corridor via central Gaza.

At the same time, Israeli leaders said they were planning to facilitate the voluntary departure of the Palestinians from the pocket, after US President Donald Trump called for permanently evacuating and re -development as a coastal resort under the control of the United States.

Katz’s comments came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated enthusiasm for Hamas to disarm it and said that the application of military pressure was the best way to restore 59 hostages.

“I invite Gaza residents to act now to eliminate Hamas and return all the kidnappers,” Katz said in his statement.

“This is the only way to end the war,” Katz said.

The war is expanding

Israel resumed air strikes in Gaza last month and sent land forces again, after two months of relative calm after the end of a truce supported by the United States to allow the exchange of hostages that Hamas maintains for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since the resumption of strikes, and Israel has cut aid to the pocket, saying that many of the materials were taken by Hamas and used for its members.

The efforts led by the Egyptian country and mediators to return to the right track so far failed to make progress.

With the escalation of the operation in Gaza, Israel also achieved targets in southern Lebanon and Syria, with a strike on the Hezbollah commander in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday, adding pressure to the ceasefire agreements that stopped largely in January.

In addition, the Israeli forces are still carrying out a major operation in the occupied West Bank, which the army says aims to destroy Iranian -backed groups in refugee camps in the region.

Israel invaded Gaza in the wake of the devastating attack on societies in southern Israel by thousands of militants led by Hamas who killed 1,200 people according to the Israeli humiliation, and saw 251 hostages in Gaza.

The Israeli campaign killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and destroyed the Gaza Strip, forcing nearly 2.3 million people of their homes, leaving hundreds of thousands of tents and improvised shelters.