Israel preparing to expand ground operation in Gaza

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

The Israeli military is preparing to expand its ground operation in the Gaza Strip, citing stalled negotiations with the Palestinian group Hamas, Israel’s state-owned broadcaster KAN reported Monday.

KAN said the Israeli army is planning a broad mobilization of reserve forces, who are already facing severe exhaustion. The report said preparations are underway to intensify operations based on demands from ministers in the Security Cabinet.

The military has also begun setting up a new “humanitarian zone” in southern Gaza located between the Morag Corridor and Rafah “to relocate Palestinians after security inspections,” the broadcaster said.

The report added that humanitarian aid in the new area would be distributed by American civilian companies under the protection and supervision of the Israeli army.

KAN noted that Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir approved the plans to expand the genocide in Gaza last Friday.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the planned expansion could have significant consequences, including increased strain on already fatigued reservists and a potential deterioration in the situation of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum warned against deeper involvement in Gaza, arguing that the government could secure the release of all captives and end the war if it chose to do so.

“Following reports about plans to expand fighting in Gaza and mobilize reservists: why are we repeating the same actions and expecting a different result? Why are we sinking deeper into the Gaza quagmire?” the group said Monday on X.

“It is time to show courage and act wisely to reach an agreement that brings all hostages home and ends the war,” the statement added. “The Israeli government could secure the return of all captives starting tomorrow morning — if it chose to — and save the lives of our soldiers while preventing another heavy price for hundreds of thousands of reservists.”

Israel estimates that 59 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, with 24 confirmed alive. Meanwhile, more than 9,900 Palestinians remain imprisoned in Israel, where human rights groups report they suffer from torture, starvation and medical neglect, conditions that have led to multiple deaths.

The Israeli army renewed its assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a Jan. 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

More than 52,300 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.