- Airstrikes in Gaza continued on Wednesday as Israel said its military is expanding operations in the war-torn region. Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, stated that the objective is to “eliminate terrorists and their infrastructure in the area.”
- Israel did not specify how much land it intends to take.
- Israeli officials state that they will transform the seized land into security zones.
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Israel is ramping up military operations in Gaza. Military officials announced on Wednesday, April 2, it would be seizing large regions of the Gaza Strip and adding security areas while initiating a large-scale evacuation of the population.
What have Israeli officials said?
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that the evacuations would be in areas where fighting would take place and called on Palestinians to help defeat Hamas and return Israeli hostages. Katz says that it is the only way to end the war.
Katz also said the operation would focus on eliminating militants and infrastructure and taking control of large chunks of land, which they would turn into “security zones of the state of Israel.”
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) previously announced evacuation warnings for Palestinians living in some southern areas of Gaza, and most of Rafah is reportedly empty after evacuation orders.
What is the bigger picture?
Israeli strikes on Wednesday killed 53 people, including one strike at a United Nations clinic being used as a shelter. That strike killed 19 people, which included children, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel said the strike hit a building previously used as a U.N. clinic but that Hamas had since used it as a command center to plan attacks, and it used military surveillance to minimize harm to civilians. Hamas refuted Israel’s assertion that the building was used as a command center and accused Israeli officials of “blatant fabrication.”
Katz did not reveal how much land Israel planned to take or whether annexation was on the table.
How much land has Israel seized in Gaza?
Israel has already seized 17% of the total area of Gaza, according to the Israeli rights group Gisha.
