Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has warned that Israel will seize more territory in Gaza and continue fighting until Hamas is completely defeated if the Palestinian militant group refuses to release remaining hostages.
The statement came amid attempts by mediators to revive the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which collapsed when Israel resumed its air and ground campaign on March 18 after the two sides failed to agree on terms to extend the two-month truce.
Israel has repeatedly said it would no longer accept Hamas retaining governance or military capacity in Gaza after the cross-border militant attack on October 7, 2023 that triggered the conflict.
The Israeli military announced last week that its troops had launched targeted ground operations in central and southern Gaza after renewed bombardment of the besieged territory, causing hundreds of Palestinian casualties.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the aim of the renewed campaign was to pressure Islamist militants to release the remaining hostages.
“If Hamas continues its intransigence, it will pay a heavy price, which will be higher and higher in the seizure of territory, the destruction of militants and terror infrastructure until total surrender,” Katz said in a video reported by Israeli media.
The latest offensive has been one of the deadliest since the conflict began 17 months ago, shattering a fragile truce that has been largely respected since it went into effect on 19 January.
Hamas continues to hold 59 hostages out of more than 250 people taken in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, of who 24 are believed to be alive. Most of the others have been released or their bodies returned as a result of exchange negotiations.
More than 50,000 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Israeli attacks on Gaza displace 124,000 people: UN
On Tuesday night, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said some 124,000 people had been displaced again after the Israeli army resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip and issued an “evacuation order.”
Dujarric noted at his daily press conference that about 14 per cent of the Gaza Strip has turned into a “no-go zone” following the latest “evacuation order” issued by the Israeli army in Rafah.
On Wednesday, the Israeli army called on all residents and displaced people in Blocks 129 and 130 to evacuate in preparation for an attack, further shrinking areas it had previously said were “safe.”
Dujarric said there were significant problems with water and sewage supplies and that sometimes people could not find water even to wash their hands for days.
