Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz announced an expansion of the military offensive in the Gaza Strip to eradicate Hamas terrorists and gain control of significant areas on Wednesday.
Katz emphasized the mission to eliminate terrorists and their infrastructure while acquiring additional territories to enhance Israel’s security zones.
For years, Israel’s security perimeter along the northern and eastern Gaza border has served as a crucial defense mechanism safeguarding the citizens living in close proximity to the region.
It is unclear which areas of Gaza will be seized in the expanded operation, which Katz says includes the “extensive evacuation” of people from areas where fighting is happening.
Displaced Palestinians carry their belongings on the outskirts of Gaza City, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP)
Officials at the Nasser Hospital said the bodies of 12 people killed in an overnight airstrike were brought to the hospital, including five women — one of whom was pregnant — and two children. Officials at the Gaza European Hospital said five bodies of people killed in two separate airstrikes were taken to the hospital.
The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 others.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, including hundreds killed in airstrikes since a ceasefire ended about two weeks ago, according to the Hamas-run government’s Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and terrorists. Israel claims, without offering evidence, that it has killed roughly 20,000 terrorists in the war.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
