On Wednesday, Israel announced the expansion of its military operations in Gaza, stating that significant areas of the enclave would be seized and incorporated into Israeli security zones. This escalation includes large-scale evacuations of civilians from active combat zones.
Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, emphasized that evacuations would occur from areas of active fighting and called on Gaza’s population to eliminate Hamas and return the hostages as the sole path to end the ongoing conflict. Katz also noted that the operation’s goal was to dismantle militant infrastructure and expand Israel’s security zones by taking control of large areas in Gaza.
The Israeli military had already issued evacuation warnings to residents in the southern districts of Gaza, and reports from Palestinian radio indicated that the area around Rafah was nearly empty following these orders. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that 53 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday, including 19 people—many of them children—killed in a strike at a UN clinic sheltering displaced civilians.
Israel’s military claimed it had targeted a clinic that it accused of being a Hamas command center, although Hamas denied the allegation, calling it a “blatant fabrication.” In the aftermath, rescue workers recovered bodies from the wreckage of the attack, while emotional testimonies from survivors highlighted the devastation. One survivor described the gruesome scene of a neighbor and her infant child being killed in a strike.
The Israeli operation also led to the reported killing of a Hezbollah unit member, Hassan Bdeir, in southern Lebanon. Katz’s announcement of the expanded operation did not specify how much land Israel intended to take or whether this would lead to permanent annexation, potentially adding pressure to Gaza’s already overburdened population. According to rights group Gisha, Israel has already taken control of roughly 62 square kilometers (17%) of Gaza, forming a buffer zone along the enclave’s borders.
Israel’s expansion of military operations follows renewed calls by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Hamas to disarm and return all hostages. Israel’s leaders have expressed support for facilitating voluntary Palestinian departures from Gaza, with President Donald Trump previously suggesting the enclave be redeveloped as a resort under U.S. control.
The war’s toll has been immense, with more than 50,000 Palestinians reported dead and nearly the entire population of Gaza displaced. As Israel’s strikes continue to escalate, so too do the international diplomatic efforts to mediate a ceasefire. However, negotiations led by Qatar and Egypt have thus far failed to produce results, and protests have erupted within Israel itself, calling for the safe return of hostages.
With the situation worsening, Israel’s military has also launched strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and Syria, further intensifying regional tensions. The conflict began after a deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel, resulting in over 1,200 Israeli casualties and the abduction of 251 hostages.
