JERUSALEM (AP) 鈥 Israel鈥檚 military operation in the Gaza Strip is expanding to seize 鈥渓arge areas,鈥 the defense minister said Wednesday.
in the Palestinian territory was 鈥渆xpanding to crush and clean the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure and seizing large areas that will be added to the security zones of the State of Israel,鈥 Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a written statement.
Israel's security perimeter, which runs along the border with Israel in northern and eastern Gaza, has been a crucial part of the country's defense for decades, used as a way to protect its citizens living near the territory.
Katz didn't specify which areas of Gaza would be seized in the expanded operation, which includes the 鈥渆xtensive evacuation鈥 of the population from fighting areas.
The minister called on Gaza residents to 鈥渆xpel Hamas and return all hostages.鈥 The militant group still holds 59 captives, of whom 24 are believed to still be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
鈥淭his is the only way to end the war,鈥 Katz said.
The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
Israel鈥檚 offensive has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, including hundreds killed in strikes since a ceasefire ended about two weeks ago, according to Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry, which doesn鈥檛 say whether those killed are civilians or combatants. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.
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