Israel will remain in Gaza’s security areas after war, says minister

Israel’s Defense Minister said the troops would remain in the so -called security areas they had established by seizing large spaces of gas even after the war was stopped.

Israel Katz said the zones will provide a “buffer” to protect Israeli communities in any temporary or permanent situation “and that” tens of percent “from the Palestinian territory were added by the resumption of the Israeli offensive ago ago.

Israel will continue its six -week blockade of humanitarian aid to press Hamas to release hostages, he said, despite warning about “devastating” consequences.

On Wednesday, the Médecins Sans Frontères (MSF) became the most international organization that sounds anxious about Israel’s campaign, saying Gaza was “turned into a mass grave of Palestinians and those who come to their help.”

“In real time, we are witnessing the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population in Gaza,” said Amande Baserole, the emergency coordinator of the charity in Gaza.

Hamas Health Ministry in Gaza said more than 1650 people had been killed by the resumption of the war on March 18.

Hospital officials said at least 24 Palestinians had been killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza on Wednesday.

The bigger part of the reported ones were in the town of Gaza, to the north.

They included 10 members of the Hasun family, mostly children and women. One of them was the Fatema Hasuna – a young writer and photographer.

The BBC asks the Israeli military to comment on the strike.

The UN claims that 69% of the territory is now under active Israeli military orders for evacuation, within the “does not move” zone, which moves along the borders with Israel and Egypt and the Vadi Gaza Valley south of Gaza or both. About 500,000 people were recently displaced or eradicated once more, with no safe place to go, calculates.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said they had killed “hundreds of terrorists” at strikes, while troops advanced in several areas north and south. He has created a new corridor that cuts off the southern city of Rafa from neighboring Khan Henis and has identified 30% of gas as a “operative perimeter of security”.

On Wednesday, Israel Katz said that Israel’s policy was “first and foremost to make every effort to lead to the release of all hostages” who still behaved there and “build a bridge to defeat Hamas later.”

“Unlike the past, IDF does not evacuate areas that have been cleared and seized,” he said.

“IDF will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and the (Israeli) communities in any temporary or permanent situation in gas – as in Lebanon and Syria.”

Hamas insisted that Israeli forces should withdraw from gas at every constant cessation of the fire.

“Every truce deprived of real guarantees for stopping war, achieving full withdrawal, lifting the blockade and starting the reconstruction will be a political trap,” said the group on Wednesday, according to the Reuters Agency.

The hostage and missing families forum in Israel, who represents many hostage relatives, called the plan of the Katz Illusion.

“They promised that the hostages were coming first and foremost. In practice, Israel chooses to seize the territory in front of the hostages,” the statement said.

“There is one obvious, practical solution and it is to release all hostages at one stage with an agreement, even with the cost of termination of war.”

Israeli military reservists and veterans have recently signed several open letters, calling for the hostages to be prioritized to fight Hamas.

Katz also made it clear that Israel would maintain his gas blockade – he blocks the entry of all food, medicines and other supplies from March 2.

“Israel’s policy is clear: no humanitarian aid will go into gas and blocking this assistance is one of the main pressure levers, preventing Hamas from using it as a tool with the population,” he said.

The UN agencies categorically reject the Israeli government claim that there is no shortage of assistance in Gaza, because during the termination of the fire of 25,000 trucks, they can violate international humanitarian law.

The UN humanitarian partners say the tents are no longer available for distribution and that there has been an increase in acute malnutrition, with the number of children receiving additional meals decreasing by more than two -thirds in March.

In its statement, the MSF said the humanitarian response was “struggling under the weight of uncertainty and the critical shortage of supply, leaving people with little, if any, opportunities to access care.”

MSF said two of its employees were killed in the last two weeks and called the murder of 15 emergency workers from Israeli troops last month “Another example of complete disregard shown by Israeli forces for the protection of humanitarian and medical workers.”

He also said he was faced with a lack of pain management and chronic diseases, antibiotics and critical surgical materials.

The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross -border attack on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 51,025 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the health ministry in the territory.

Many of the 1.9 million displaced people returned to the home areas during the recent cessation of fire, which began on January 19th.

On this termination of fire, Hamas released 33 Israeli hostages – eight of them dead – in exchange for about 1900 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, a jump of humanitarian aid entering Gaza, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated areas.

Israel blocked the supplies of gas on March 2 and resumed its offensive two weeks later. It says that Hamas has refused to accept a proposal to extend the first phase of the transaction to terminate the fire and the release of more than 59 hostages, which he still holds, up to 24 of which are thought to be alive.

Hamas accused Israel of breaking the original deal that would have a second phase in which all other living hostages would be handed over and the war led to a constant end.

A senior Palestinian official told the BBC on Tuesday that Hamas had rejected a new Israeli proposal for a six -week fire in exchange for the release of half of the living Israeli hostages and disarmament of the armed group.

On Wednesday, sources close to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office told Haarets that Israel had not yet received an official response from Hamas.

Meanwhile, the Allied Armed Palestinian Islamic Jihad has released a new video showing Israeli-German hostage Rom Brasavski. In the video he seems to be talking under coercion, the 21-year-old appeals to the US and Israeli governments to secure his release.

German ambassador to Israel Stefen Seybert said it was painful to see him “cruelly parked in a video.”

“The terrorists must release him and all the hostages now. And everyone involved in the conversations: no obligation is more comprehended than their return,” he added.