Israel expands military operations and occupies parts of Gaza
Israel today announced a significant expansion of military operations in Gaza, announcing that it would take large areas of the enclave and add them to its security zones by mass evacuation of the population.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the troops occupied the area he called the Morak axis, referring to the former Israeli neighborhood that existed between the cities of Rafa and Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
« That’s why we’re sharing our belt now and we are gradually increasing the pressure to hand over our hostages, » Netanyahu said in the video message.
He said the move, which would be cut off by Rafa from Khan Junice, would give Israel control the other axis in South Gaza besides the so -called Philadelphia corridor along the Egyptian border, which Israel considers it crucial to preventing weapons smuggling.
Defense Minister Israel Katz had earlier announced today that the troops would expand their operations in Gaza to remove the militants and their infrastructure « and occupy large areas to be added to Israel’s security zones ».
The Israeli military has already issued warnings to evacuate Gaza residents living in some southern areas, and Palestinian radio has announced that the area around Rafa is almost completely empty after evacuation orders.
It was not clear from Katz’s statements how much territory intends to take Israel or whether the move is a permanent annexation, which will increase pressure on the population that already lives in one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
According to the Israeli Human Rights Group Gisa, even before the operation, Israel has already occupied 62 square kilometers, or about 17 percent of the total area of Gaza, as part of the buffer zone around the edges of the enclave.
