On Wednesday, Israel announced that it has extended its ground operations in Gaza, after launching a wave of air strikes which reportedly killed over 430 people in two days.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops had moved in up to the Netzarim Corridor, which divides the north and south of the Strip.
This fresh attack on Gaza marks the end of the fragile ceasefire deal that had been in place since January.
The IDF said it had begun “targeted ground activities” to create what it called a “partial buffer between the north and south” in Gaza.
It has issued numerous orders to Gazans to leave a huge area along the three sides of the territory’s land borders, suggesting that a larger ground operation could shortly take place.
The orders sent panic among Palestinian families, many of whom had been displaced repeatedly by the war and had returned home during the ceasefire. Some families were forced to carry what they could and leave by foot, by cart or vehicle, just to seek safety away from the areas marked by the Israeli military.
In a video message on Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister, Israel Katz issued a “last warning” to the Palestinian territory calling for the return of the 59 remaining hostages being held there, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.
Katz also repeated the call for the end of Hamas, saying if neither demands are met the alternative would be “total destruction and devastation”.
The movement of troops comes after the UN said a member of staff had been killed when its compound in Deir al-Balah was damaged on Wednesday.
The UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) said an “explosive ordnance was dropped or fired” at the building, which was in an “isolated” location. It added there was no confirmation on the nature of the incident or the type of artillery used.
The head of the UNOPS, Jorge Moreira da Silva, said: he believed “this was not an accident”, adding that the situation in Gaza is “unconscionable”.
Flowing from all of this, the UN Secretary General António Guterres has called for a full investigation into the situation.
On Tuesday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it had “resumed combat in full force” and any ceasefire negotiations would now take place “under fire”.
Israel and Hamas were unable to agree on how to take the ceasefire beyond the first phase, with negotiations expected to have started six weeks ago.
Hamas did not agree to a renegotiation of the ceasefire on Israel’s terms, although it did offer to release a living American hostage (and four bodies), to extend the current arrangement.
Israel blocked all food, fuel and medical supplies entering Gaza at the beginning of March in order to put pressure on Hamas.
Now, Israel is demonstrating its preparedness to also use its troops and severe military force to push Hamas into signing the renegotiated ceasefire deal it is proposing with the United States.
The 7 October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas witnessed about 1,200 people killed and the capturing of 251 hostages – 25 of whom were released alive during the first phase of the ceasefire.
Israel responded with a massive military offensive, which, according to the Hamas’ health ministry, has killed more than 48,500 Palestinians and caused large-scale destruction to homes and infrastructure.
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