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On Wednesday, Israel initiated a "limited ground operation" in Gaza, aiming to regain control of part of a critical Gaza corridor known as the Netzarim corridor. This corridor had previously been used by Israel for military purposes and bisected the northern and southern parts of Gaza. The move comes after the breakdown of a two-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which had been in effect since January.
The Israeli military stated that its forces had reoccupied the Netzarim corridor as part of efforts to expand the security perimeter and establish a partial buffer between northern and southern Gaza. Over the past 24 hours, ground operations were intensified in the central and southern Gaza Strip.
Israel's Defense Minister, Israel Katz, issued a stern warning to Gaza’s residents, saying that if Hamas does not release hostages—who have been held for over 17 months—Israel would escalate its military efforts. He urged citizens of Gaza to heed the advice of the President of the United States and return the hostages, suggesting that doing so could lead to options for peaceful resolution, including relocation for those who wish to leave. Katz referred to this as the "last warning."
On the same day, a UN staff member was killed, and five others were injured in an attack on a UN guesthouse in Deir al-Balah, a city in central Gaza. The UN's Jorge Moreira da Silva confirmed that the blast was the result of an explosive ordnance, not related to demining activity. However, the Israeli military denied any involvement in targeting the UN site.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported at least 436 fatalities, including 183 children and 94 women, and 678 injuries since Israel resumed strikes early Tuesday. The Israeli military claimed it had struck several Hamas targets, including a Hamas battalion command center.
International reactions to the renewed violence were swift. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated that Israel's air raids on Gaza were “shattering” the hopes of both Israelis and Palestinians for an end to their suffering. Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, condemned the new airstrikes as “unacceptable.”
The resumption of fighting raised concerns that the region could return to full-scale war, undoing progress made during the previous ceasefire. The ceasefire had involved an exchange of hostages and prisoners between Israel and Hamas, with plans to negotiate an extension to the truce in the hope of eventually ending the conflict.
