Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened on Wednesday to seize areas of Gaza if Hamas does not release hostages, with the Palestinian Islamist movement warning that their lives are at risk following the resumption of Israeli bombardments.
The Israeli military also announced that two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip, one intercepted and the other landing in the south of the country, with no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
These attacks occurred after hundreds of Gazans protested in the north of the territory, chanting anti-Hamas slogans and calling for an end to the war with Israel. On the social media platform Telegram, calls for more protests on Wednesday were issued.
A truce that began on January 19 after 15 months of war ended on March 18 with the resumption of Israeli bombings on the Gaza Strip, followed by ground operations.
Since then, at least 830 Palestinians have been killed in the besieged and devastated territory, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
"Powerful" Pressure
Israeli officials say the return to hostilities aims to force Hamas to release the remaining hostages after discussions to continue the truce reached a deadlock. The ceasefire had allowed for the return of 33 Israeli hostages—eight of whom were deceased—in exchange for around 1,800 Palestinian detainees.
"The more Hamas persists in refusing to release our hostages, the more powerful the pressure we will exert," Netanyahu said Wednesday in Parliament in Jerusalem.
"This includes taking territories, as well as other measures I will not detail here," he added.
Last week, his Defense Minister, Israel Katz, stated he had ordered the army "to seize more territory in Gaza," warning that "the more Hamas continues to refuse to release the hostages, the more territory it will lose, which will be annexed to Israel."
Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 who are deceased, according to the Israeli military.
Hamas stated on Wednesday that the remaining hostages could be killed if Israel attempts to free them by force and continues its strikes.
"In Coffins"
Hamas claims to do "everything possible" to keep them alive but warned that "blind Zionist (Israeli) bombing endangers their lives."
"Every time the (Israeli) occupation tries to recover its captives by force, it ends up bringing them back in coffins," it added.
Gal Gilboa-Dalal, whose younger brother, Guy, was abducted on October 7 at the Nova music festival, said he is "terrified" at the thought that Israeli operations "endanger the hostages."
"There is no way to know what the terrorists might do to them or if a missile might accidentally hit them," he told AFP.
The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
The Israeli retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 50,183 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
On Tuesday, Beit Lahia in northern Gaza witnessed the largest anti-Hamas gathering since the start of the war, with participants chanting "Hamas out" and "Hamas terrorist."
"People are tired," said Majdi, who did not wish to give his full name, to AFP.
Israel regularly calls on Gaza's residents to mobilize against the movement that has been in power in the territory since 2007.
The humanitarian situation there is particularly dire since Israel closed crossing points for international aid and goods on March 2, before resuming military operations.
On Saturday, Fatah, the Palestinian movement led by President Mahmoud Abbas, called on its rival to relinquish power, warning that otherwise "the coming battle will lead to the end of the existence of Palestinians" in Gaza.
In Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu accused the opposition on Wednesday of "fueling anarchy" by supporting antigovernment protests that are multiplying to oppose the resumption of hostilities in Gaza and the dismissal of the head of Shin Bet (Internal Security).
AFP
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