Israel to seize 'large areas' of Gaza, military vows to 'crush and clean terrorists'

Israel is expanding its military operation in the Gaza Strip to seize “large areas” of the Palestinian territory, defence minister Israel Katz announced on Wednesday.

The move is aimed at strengthening Israel’s security zones and comes amidst intense fighting in Hamas-controlled Gaza.

‘Crush and clean’ operation

Katz, in a written statement, said the Israeli military would “crush and clean the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure and seize large areas that will be added to the security zones of the State of Israel.”

However, he did not specify which parts of Gaza would be taken under Israeli control. The expansion of military operations also includes the “extensive evacuation” of Palestinian civilians from combat zones.

The defence minister called on Gaza residents to “expel Hamas and return all hostages,” stating that this was “the only way to end the war.” According to Israeli authorities, Hamas still holds 59 captives, with only 24 believed to be alive, while the rest were either released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

'Operate with full force'

Katz’s announcement follows his warning last week that the Israeli military would soon “operate with full force” in additional parts of Gaza. In February, he proposed setting up an agency to facilitate the “voluntary departure” of Palestinians from Gaza, an idea that has been backed by some right-wing Israeli politicians, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel resumed heavy bombardment of Gaza on March 18, ending a nearly two-month ceasefire with Hamas. The escalation led to new ground offensives, with reports of increased casualties. Gaza’s civil defence agency stated that at least 15 people, including children, were killed in Israeli air strikes on homes in Khan Yunis and the Nuseirat refugee camp early on Wednesday.

The health ministry in Gaza reported that 1,042 people have been killed in the territory since Israel restarted military operations.

Israel-Hamas war

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and taking 251 hostages. Since then, Israel has launched a relentless military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

According to the Gaza health ministry, over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes. The ministry does not distinguish between civilian and militant casualties. Israel claims it has killed around 20,000 Hamas fighters but has not provided evidence to support this figure.

Ceasefire efforts

Diplomatic efforts continue to broker a new ceasefire. Egypt, Qatar, and the United States are mediating negotiations to secure the release of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas. A senior Hamas official stated on Saturday that the group had approved a new ceasefire proposal and urged Israel to support it. Netanyahu’s office confirmed receiving the proposal and submitted a counterproposal in response.

Netanyahu has also offered to let Hamas leaders leave Gaza if the group agrees to disarm. “We are negotiating under fire… We can see cracks beginning to appear,” he told his cabinet, suggesting that Hamas may be reconsidering its position.