I have instructed the Israeli military, IDF, to take further areas in Gaza into possession, evacuate the population and expand the security zones around Gaza to protect Israeli communities and IDF soldiers, says Katz according to The Jerusalem Post.
The more Hamas persists in its refusal to release the hostages, the more territory they will lose, he continues.
On Friday, another eleven people were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to Hamas-controlled authorities. In one of the attacks, a couple and their two children, as well as two other children who were in the same building, were killed, according to eyewitnesses and local healthcare providers.
Israel is simultaneously urging civilians in Gaza to leave parts of southern Gaza ahead of new attacks.
Turkey is accusing Israel of deliberately attacking a hospital built by the country. Israel, in turn, claims that the hospital was not in use at the time of the attack and is now being used by Hamas.
On Thursday, Hamas-controlled authorities in Gaza reported that around 600 people had been killed since Israel resumed its attacks on Tuesday night, which marked the end of the ceasefire that began on January 19.
Of the 251 people taken hostage during the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023, 58 have still not been allowed to return to Israel. Of these, 34 are dead, according to the Israeli military.
