DaysofPal- Israeli troops have resumed ground operations in the Gaza Strip, reoccupying a key land corridor while continuing airstrikes on the besieged enclave following the collapse of a truce with Hamas.
The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that its forces had retaken control of the Netzarim Corridor, a strategic area in central Gaza, in a move aimed at expanding a “security zone” and creating a partial buffer between the northern and southern parts of the strip. This follows a previous withdrawal from the area last month, which had allowed civilians in central and southern Gaza to return to what remained of their homes in the north after over a year of intense fighting.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, explained the implications of the reoccupation: “The Israeli military presence in the area is equivalent to a ground invasion. That’s made clear by the [Israeli military] statement. It’s going to be a starting point or a launching point, for the occupying forces to implement military operations in the area.”
This ground offensive comes after a resumption of Israel’s air bombardment, which killed over 400 people on Tuesday. Israel accused Hamas of rejecting a new version of the ceasefire that would have led to the release of many of the remaining captives, the majority of whom are believed to be dead. Israel insisted that the ceasefire did not require them to agree to an end to the war.
In response, Hamas rejected the new deal, insisting that Israel should adhere to the original ceasefire signed in January, which included negotiations over the captives, a permanent cessation of hostilities, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. “Why do we have to present proposals while there exists a signed agreement with international parties acting as guarantors?” said Taher al-Nono, media adviser for the head of Hamas’s political bureau. “It was Netanyahu who turned a blind eye to it. Therefore, it is Netanyahu, not Hamas or the resistance, that should be pressured to comply.”
On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to escalate the offensive, stating, “Israel will act with an intensity that you have not seen” if all captives are not freed and Hamas is not eliminated from Gaza.
Health officials in Gaza said Wednesday that Israeli airstrikes had killed dozens of people, including a foreign UN employee who was killed in an attack on a UN compound in central Gaza. Medics are struggling to cope with the surge in casualties as hospitals face a shortage of medical supplies due to the renewed Israeli blockade.
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