Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced a major expansion of the military operation in Gaza on Wednesday and said large areas of the enclave would be seized and added to the security zones of Israel.
He said in a statement that there would be a large-scale evacuation of the population from fighting areas.
He called on Gazans to eliminate Hamas and return Israeli hostages, saying this was the only way to end the war.
“Operation Strength and Sword in Gaza is expanding to crush and cleanse the area of terrorists and terror infrastructure, and to seize large areas that will be added to Israel’s security zones “I call on the residents of Gaza to act now to remove Hamas and return all the hostages,” Katz said.
“I wish success to the IDF soldiers fighting with courage and strength in Gaza for the return of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.
The defense minister elaborated that the mission was intended to eliminate more terror infrastructure in Gaza.
WIth operations in Gaza broadening, Katz said that “more areas will become buffer zones.”
This comes after Palestinian media reported that the IDF began ground operations in Rafah overnight on Tuesday.
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The Israel Air Force struck numerous targets across the Gaza Strip overnight, and local Arab reports indicated that the Israel Navy also participated in the assault.
On Wednesday morning, IDF forces conducted airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, Walla reported.
Additionally, tanks were seen advancing toward southern Khan Yunis and the city of Rafah.
The IDF spokesman in Arabic, Col. Avichay Adraee, issued an evacuation notice to Rafah residents and advised them to move to designated humanitarian zones.
The military issued the call after encircling the Tel Sultan and Shaboura neighborhoods in Rafah, allowing it to establish corridors to monitor movement out of the city.
It was reported on Monday that the military would likely evacuate citizens from Rafah if there was no progress made on a hostage deal, according to diplomatic sources.
The source also noted that Israel is unwilling to give up the demilitarized zone in front of the Gaza Corridor, noting that “to withdraw from the perimeter would be totally irresponsible.
The security doctrine after October 7 is that the IDF must be placed in between the [Israeli] residents and the border.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum demanded an explanation from the political echelon as to how this could bring the hostages home.
“The responsibility for the release of the 59 hostages held by Hamas lies with the Government of Israel.
Our difficult feeling is that this mission has been pushed to the bottom of its list of priorities and has become merely a secondary task.
“We demand that the Prime Minister, the Defense Minister, and the Chief of Staff stand before the public — and especially before the families of the hostages — and explain how this operation serves the goal of bringing the hostages home, and how they intend to avoid endangering their lives — or the disappearance of the bodies of those who have fallen,” the forum wrote in a statement.
In contrast, the Tikvah Forum welcomed the defense sector’s decision to reenter Rafah.
“As we have said all along — only through massive pressure, the seizure of large areas and their use as bargaining chips, along with halting humanitarian aid, will it be possible to ensure the release of all the hostages,” the forum’s statement read.
“The greater the pressure, the more hostages we will be able to free. There is no room for hesitation or stopping the operations .
“..only determined and relentless action will bring our loved ones home.”
