The conflict in the Palestinian enclave has left more than 51,300 dead. Relatives of the hostages have called on the Netanyahu government to reinstate the ceasefire.
The Israeli army warned Thursday it will expand its military operations in Gaza if Hamas does not make progress on releasing the hostages taken on October 7. The conflict has left over 51,300 people dead, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
“We are continuing operational pressure to tighten the noose on Hamas as necessary. If we see no progress on releasing the hostages, we will escalate into a more intense and decisive operation,” said Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir during a visit to Rafah in southern Gaza.
On the same day, the Israeli army again ordered the evacuation of Beit Hanoun and Sheikh Zayed in northeastern Gaza, citing ongoing “sniper attacks and terrorist activity” in the area near the Israeli border.
“We will launch a heavy strike on the area used for these terrorist attacks,” said army spokesperson Avichay Adraee in Arabic. “This is the final warning before the assault.”
Israel instructed residents to immediately move westward toward Gaza City and blamed Hamas for the civilian suffering and displacement.
Meanwhile, the families of the hostages urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government not to cave to pressure from far-right coalition partners and to fully respect all phases of the ceasefire agreement.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the main group representing relatives of those kidnapped by Hamas, warned that renewed fighting “would be a death sentence” for those still in captivity.
“We continue to intensify our campaign. We will not allow extremists, detached from the people and working against Israel’s interests, to bury the hostages in the tunnels,” the forum stated.
On Friday, relatives blocked the main highway into Tel Aviv and displayed banners denouncing the fragile state of the truce.
On Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they struck a group of Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants gathered in the former Jaffa school building in Gaza City.
The militants allegedly used the facility as a command and control center to plan and execute attacks against Israeli citizens and soldiers, according to an official military statement.
The IDF emphasized it had taken extensive precautions to minimize civilian casualties, including the use of precision weaponry, airstrikes, and additional intelligence analysis.
Since Israel ended the ceasefire on March 18, over 420,000 Gazans have been displaced again, adding to the 90% of the population already forcibly uprooted, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that more than 51,300 people have been killed and over 117,000 injured since October 7, with many suffering life-altering wounds and amputations.
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