Will annex more Gaza territory if Hamas continues holding hostages: Israel Defence Minister

Jerusalem: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Friday warned that Israel could annex parts of the Gaza Strip unless Hamas releases the remaining Israeli hostages still held in the war-torn enclave.  

The threat comes as Israel escalates its renewed military offensive, which began on Tuesday, ending a period of relative calm following a January 19 ceasefire.  

Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that Israeli strikes killed 11 people on Friday, with three casualties in pre-dawn attacks and eight more later in the day. On Thursday, the agency reported a total death toll of 504 since the bombardment resumed—one of the highest since the war began more than 17 months ago.  

“I ordered (the army) to seize more territory in Gaza... The more Hamas refuses to free the hostages, the more territory it will lose, which will be annexed by Israel,” Katz said in a statement.  

The Israeli minister also threatened to expand buffer zones around Gaza, saying they were necessary to protect civilians and soldiers. “[This would mean] implementing a permanent Israeli occupation of the area,” he warned.  

Widespread Evacuations and Intensified Bombing  

The Israeli military ordered residents of Al-Salatin, Al-Karama, and Al-Awda in southern Gaza to evacuate ahead of planned strikes. “For your safety, head south toward the known shelters immediately,” military spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted on X.  

AFP images from northern Gaza showed residents fleeing with their belongings piled onto donkey carts, navigating roads littered with rubble.  

Israel has justified the renewed offensive by citing stalled negotiations over a second phase of the ceasefire. While the resumption of large-scale military operations was coordinated with US President Donald Trump’s administration, it has faced international condemnation.  

Turkey strongly criticized what it described as Israel’s “deliberate” destruction of a Turkish-built hospital in Gaza. “We strongly condemn the destruction by Israel of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital,” its foreign ministry said.  

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin raised concerns over the escalating violence in a phone call with Qatar’s ruler, one of the mediators of the January ceasefire.  

Israeli President Isaac Herzog voiced unease over the government’s actions, saying in a video statement on Thursday that it was “unthinkable to resume fighting while still pursuing the sacred mission of bringing our hostages home.”  

Public opposition to the government’s strategy has intensified, with thousands protesting in Jerusalem, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of resuming hostilities without ensuring the safety of the hostages.  

Of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attack, 58 remain in captivity, including 34 whom the Israeli military believes to be dead.  

As Israel expanded its ground operations, it sealed off Gaza’s main north-south route on Thursday. The military said it intercepted two projectiles fired from northern Gaza on Friday after air raid sirens rang out in Ashkelon. A day earlier, Hamas claimed responsibility for launching rockets at Tel Aviv, marking its first military response to Israel’s renewed offensive. The military said one rocket was intercepted, while two struck an uninhabited area.  

Katz stated that Israel would escalate military pressure until Hamas is defeated and the hostages are freed. “We will intensify the fight with aerial, naval, and ground shelling as well as by expanding the ground operation,” he said, adding that Israel would use “all military and civilian pressure points.”  

He also referenced Trump’s proposal for the U.S. to redevelop Gaza as a Mediterranean resort after relocating its Palestinian inhabitants to other Arab countries.  

Asked on Thursday whether Trump was working to revive a Gaza ceasefire, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded that the president “fully supports” Israel’s renewed operations.  

Israel has rejected negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire, instead demanding the return of all hostages under an extended first stage. Hamas, in turn, dismissed the move as an attempt to renegotiate the original deal.  AFP