Israel intensifies Gaza offensive to pressure Hamas over hostages

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced on Friday that the military is escalating its air, land and sea strikes in Gaza to pressure Hamas into releasing remaining hostages, while evacuating Palestinian civilians southward.

Following two months of relative calm, Gaza residents are once again fleeing as Israel has effectively abandoned the ceasefire, launching a renewed full-scale military campaign against Hamas, which controls the enclave.

Katz warned that Hamas would lose more territory to Israel if it continues to refuse the release of Israeli hostages. He confirmed the military would intensify operations across all domains and expand ground operations until both the hostages are freed and Hamas is defeated.

The resumption of hostilities came after ceasefire negotiations failed to resolve differences between the parties. Israel initiated a massive bombing campaign on Tuesday before deploying ground troops the following day.

The first day of renewed airstrikes on Tuesday resulted in more than 400 Palestinian deaths, marking one of the deadliest days in the 17-month conflict, with military operations continuing at a similar intensity since then.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​