Israel announces expansion of offensive against Hamas in Gaza
Photo: Israeli military (Getty Images)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are deploying another division to the southern part of the Gaza Strip as Jerusalem announces an expansion of its operation against Hamas in the enclave, informs The Times of Israel.
According to the media, the additional division is being deployed following large-scale overnight strikes in the southern Gaza Strip.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the military is expanding its offensive against Hamas militants.
Meanwhile, Palestinian media reported a large wave of strikes in Rafah and Khan Younis overnight and the advancement of IDF forces toward Rafah this morning.
On Monday, the IDF issued evacuation warnings for the entire Rafah area and a large territory between Rafah and Khan Younis, where Israeli forces had not previously conducted ground operations.
In March, the IDF announced that the 36th Division had been sent to the Southern Command in preparation for operations in Gaza.
By April 2, reports emerged that division forces had entered southern Gaza early in the morning as part of the expanded offensive against Hamas.
According to The Times of Israel, Katz stated that Israeli troops plan to clear the area of terrorists and their infrastructure and capture a large territory that will be added to Israel’s security zones.
Resumption of IDF military operations in Gaza
Recently, active fighting between Israel and Hamas resumed after Hamas militants refused to release hostages to the Israeli side, violating the ceasefire agreement.
In response, Israeli forces launched a series of strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza.
On March 29, it was reported that Israel had begun a ground operation in Rafah (southern Gaza) to expand the security zone.
Israel has previously stated that it is considering a large-scale ground operation in Gaza, potentially involving a military occupation for several months.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense has also not ruled out the expansion of a buffer zone along the Gaza border if Hamas refuses to release the hostages.
On March 30, Reuters reported that Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire proposal in Gaza.
The following day, Western media reported that Israel had proposed a new ceasefire with conditions - including the release of approximately half of the hostages by Hamas.
