Watan-Israeli Security Minister Yisrael Katz announced on Saturday that the Israeli army will expand its attack “in most parts” of the Gaza Strip. Katz said in a statement addressing Palestinian residents, “Soon, the (army) operations will intensify and expand to include other areas in most of Gaza, and you must evacuate the combat zones.”
Katz’s statement coincided with an announcement from the Israeli army that it had completed control over the entire “Morag Axis” and had fully encircled the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. The army stated, “The 36th Division forces completed the Morag passage separating the Rafah and Khan Younis brigades,” referring to the resistance brigades.
This also follows less than ten days after the Israeli army announced the expansion of its ground operation in northern Gaza, starting in the Shujaiya area. At the time, the army claimed that this step was aimed at deepening control over the area and expanding the defensive security zone.
Gaza Crisis Escalates as Casualties Reach 50,933
The pace of the Israeli extermination war on Gaza has significantly escalated since it resumed on March 18, resulting in 50,933 martyrs according to the latest statistics from Gaza’s Ministry of Health, despite ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire involving prisoner and detainee exchanges and ending the war on the Gaza Strip, which is suffering from a severe humanitarian crisis.
In this context, Hamas stated in a statement today, “The equation is clear: the release of prisoners in exchange for stopping the war,” adding, “The world accepts it, but (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu rejects it,” emphasizing that every day of delay means more killing of unarmed civilians from our people, and an uncertain fate for the Israeli prisoners.
Hamas’s statement coincided with a disclosure by an informed source in the movement to AFP, revealing that a delegation of senior leaders is scheduled to arrive in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials regarding a ceasefire in Gaza. The source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, “We hope that the meeting will make real progress towards reaching an agreement to stop the war, halt the aggression, and secure the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.”
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