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Israel Expands Gaza Offensive, Threatens Annexation Over Hostage Standoff

Defense Minister Israel Katz orders deeper incursions into Gaza and warns of permanent territorial control if Hamas does not release remaining hostages.

Smoke billows from the site of Israeli artillery shelling that targeted the area of the southern Lebanese village of Yohmor on March 22, 2025.
Ali Marouf and his mother Aisha cook on a fire on the roof of their house, which was destroyed by the Israeli army's air and ground offensive, in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip, on Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip sit in a makeshift tent camp inside a landfill in central Gaza Strip, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians wait for donated food at a distribution center in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Overview

  • Israel's military resumed intensified air, land, and sea operations in Gaza, killing over 500 Palestinians since the ceasefire ended on March 17, 2025.
  • Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the Israeli Defense Forces to seize additional territory and threatened annexation if Hamas refuses to release 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.
  • The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening, with aid blockades causing severe shortages of food, fuel, and medical supplies, leaving many displaced residents in desperate conditions.
  • Prime Minister Netanyahu faces domestic unrest after firing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, a decision temporarily halted by Israel's Supreme Court due to legal challenges.
  • Hamas demands a lasting ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal in exchange for hostages, rejecting U.S.-backed proposals that do not address broader ceasefire terms.