Israel to reoccupy 25% of Gaza to press Hamas to release hostages, official says
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Palestinians in Rafah, Gaza move to safer areas with a few belongings on Mar. 31, 2025. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images
The Israeli military will expand its ground operation in Gaza to occupy 25% of the enclave over the next two to three weeks, a senior Israeli official said in a briefing with reporters on Monday.
Why it matters: The Israeli official said the ground operation is part of a "maximum pressure" campaign aimed at forcing Hamas to agree to release more hostages. But reoccupation could go beyond Israel's stated objectives of the war and could serve as a pretense for pressing Palestinians to leave Gaza.
- The move, which has already begun, is again forcing the displacement of Palestinian civilians who returned to their homes in northern and southern Gaza strip after the ceasefire was announced in January.
- If no new hostage-release and ceasefire deal is reached, the ground operation could expand and lead to the reoccupation of most of the enclave and the displacement of most of the 2 million Palestinian civilians living there to a small "humanitarian zone."
- Some Israeli officials say reoccupation is a step towards implementing the government's plan for "voluntary departure" of Palestinians from Gaza and is necessary to defeat Hamas.
- Others warn it could leave Israel responsible to two million Palestinians in what could turn into an indefinite occupation.
Driving the news: On March 17, Israel resumed the war in Gaza with a series of massive airstrikes against what it described as Hamas targets all across the enclave.
- More than 400 Palestinians were killed in the strikes, the majority were women and children.
- According to the Hamas-run Gaza's Health Ministry, 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war resumed and more than 50,000 since the October 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel.
On Monday morning, the Israeli Defense Forces issued evacuation orders to Palestinians in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza strip.
- Most of Rafah city was destroyed during Israel's previous ground operation and not many Palestinians returned there after the ceasefire.
- "The IDF is returning to intense operations to dismantle the capabilities of the terrorist organizations in these areas. For your safety, move immediately to the shelters in Al Mawasi," Colonel Avichay Adraee wrote on X.
- The senior Israeli official said in the briefing with reporters that the IDF plan is to broaden the buffer zone controlled by the IDF in the territory close to the border with Israel.
The big picture: The negotiations over a new ceasefire deal that includes release of hostages haven't progressed.
- Over the weekend, Hamas gave Qatar and Egypt its agreement to a proposal that resembles an offer made several weeks ago by White House envoy Steve Witkoff.
- At the time, Hamas rejected that proposal, which included the release of American citizen Edan Alexander and four other living hostages in return for a 40 to 50 day ceasefire.
- Israel, which agreed several weeks ago to Witkoff's proposal, now rejects it and is demanding the release of 11 living hostages in return for a 40-day ceasefire. Israel also demands that on day 10 of the ceasefire Hamas releases 16 bodies of dead hostages.
