Israel threatens to occupy more Gaza land

Israel will take more territory in Gaza until Hamas is wiped out if the Palestinian resistance group keeps refusing to free remaining captives, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

He spoke on Tuesday as mediators continued efforts to salvage Gaza's ceasefire deal shattered by Israel's renewal of air and ground offensive on March 18 after failing to agree on the terms of the ceasefire.

Israel has said it will never again accept Hamas governance and military power in Gaza following the group’s October 7, 2023 cross-border attack that was followed with an Israeli genocidal war on the tiny enclave.

The Israeli military said last week that its forces had begun a focused ground attack in central and southern Gaza after it resumed bombardments in the besieged enclave that have killed hundreds of Palestinians.

Heavy prices

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the objective of the new attack is to force Hamas to release remaining hostages.

"If Hamas continues with its intransigence, it will pay heavy prices that get higher and higher in the taking of territory (by Israel) and in taking out militants and terror infrastructure until its complete surrender," Katz said in a video reported by Israeli media.

The latest offensive has been among the deadliest since the Israeli assault began 17 months ago, splintering a shaky ceasefire that had largely prevailed since it went into effect on January 19.

Hamas is still holding 59 captives, with 24 thought to be still alive, among the more than 250 it seized in its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Most of the rest have been freed, or their bodies handed over, in negotiated exchanges.

Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Gaza.

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Source: TRT