Israel announces plan to seize ‘large areas’ in Gaza – latest updates | Israel-Gaza war– www.theguardian.com Source Link Excerpt:
Airstrikes continued on Gaza on Wednesday morning after the Israeli defense minister announced that Israel intended to expand its war. In a statement, Israel Katz said the offensive was “expanding to crush and clean the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure and capture large areas that will be added to the security zones of the state of Israel.”
The move has been condemned by the Hostages Families Forum, who said it appeared that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government were making the return of 59 hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas “a secondary task” that had been “pushed to the bottom of the priority list.”
I wish success to the IDF soldiers who are fighting bravely and powerfully in Gaza for the return of the kidnapped and the defeat of Hamas. The goal of Operation “Strength and Sword” is first and foremost to increase pressure for the release of all the hostages in the face of Hamas’ refusal.
Expanding the operation this morning will increase the pressure on the Hamas murderers and also on the population in Gaza and advance the achievement of the sacred and important goal for all of us. I call on the residents of Gaza to act now to remove Hamas and return all the hostages. This is the only way to end the war.
Thousands flee Gaza’s Rafah after Israel issues new evacuation orders– www.euronews.com Source Link Excerpt:
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said 140,000 people are impacted by the Israeli military’s latest displacement orders, which indicate it could soon launch another major ground operation in Gaza’s southernmost city.
Thousand of Palestinians fled Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah on Monday after the Israeli military issued new sweeping evacuation orders, indicating it could soon launch another major ground operation.
At least 140,000 people were affected by the evacuation order, according to Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees.
“People are treated like pinballs with constant military orders playing with their fate and lives,” Lazzarini wrote on the social platform X.
Signs ‘threatening’ deportation of Harvard pro-Hamas students put up, students ‘distressed’– www.thecollegefix.com Source Link Excerpt:
Caused ‘fear’ among many ‘already feeling deeply vulnerable’
This past week, Harvard Law School officials removed a pair stickers adhered to a pole near the campus’ main plaza which “threatened” the deportation of pro-Hamas students.
The first sticker read “Don’t be Mahmood [sic] Khalil,” a reference to the Columbia University grad student recently detained by ICE for, The Crimsonclaims, “serving as a negotiator on behalf of participants in Columbia’s pro-Palestine encampment.”
The sticker also included “Be a racist if you want, Just keep it to yourself #JFB (Jews fight back).”
The group Dissent Collective snapped a photo (pictured) of the sticker, which by that time had the phrase “Free Palestine” scrawled into it. A second sticker reading “I am a green card holder who loves America. I will never be deported. Are You?” soon was placed over the original.
Israel estimates Houthis only have ‘few dozen’ ballistic missiles left; PM Netanyahu praises ‘forceful’ US strikes in Yemen – All Israel News Source Link
Israel Issues Evacuation Order for Southern Gaza– www.nytimes.com Source Link Excerpt:
The Israeli military issued a sweeping evacuation order for the southern Gaza Strip on Monday, signaling that it could relaunch intensive assaults in the area.
The order — which came during the Eid al-Fitr holiday — heralded renewed hardship for Palestinians in the southernmost city of Rafah, which has been battered by the war between Israel and Hamas, and has endured periods of being overwhelmed with displaced people and depopulated by evacuation orders. The war restarted two weeks ago after a monthslong cease-fire collapsed.
In the past, the Israeli military has ordered evacuations ahead of both aerial attacks and ground maneuvers that it has said were targeting Hamas.
Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesman, on Monday posted a map of the affected areas on his social media accounts, including Rafah and parts of neighboring Khan Younis. He said Palestinians must relocate to shelters in a costal region to the north.
Hamas slams Israel’s ‘colonial’ road project meant to split West Bank, isolate East Jerusalem – The Cradle Source Link
Excerpt:
Hamas has strongly condemned Israel’s approval of a new road project connecting Jerusalem to the Ma’ale Adumim settlement in the occupied West Bank, calling it a colonial effort to expand illegal settlements and displace Palestinians from occupied East Jerusalem.
In a statement issued on 30 March, the Palestinian resistance group described the Israeli cabinet’s decision as part of a broader plan to isolate Palestinian towns and dismantle hopes for a viable Palestinian state.
“These colonial plans will ultimately be shattered by the steadfastness of the Palestinian people,” the statement read, urging Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem to escalate resistance and confront the occupation.
“The continued implementation of settlement projects in occupied Jerusalem reveals the occupation’s malicious intent to expand settlements and push for the displacement of Palestinians from the holy city.”
The Israeli Security Cabinet on Saturday approved the final phase of the so-called “Fabric of Life Road,” also known as the “Texture of Life Axis.” The project, long delayed, will create a new route allowing Palestinian vehicles to travel between the northern and southern West Bank without passing through Israeli checkpoints or Route 1 — the main highway connecting Jerusalem to Ma’ale Adumim. That road will now be reserved exclusively for Israeli traffic.
As the statistics reflect, Israel’s war didn’t turn out to be just a war against Hamas, but expanded to the entire civilian population and its critical infrastructure.
To address this crisis of colossal magnitude, two critical steps need to be taken. First, we must immediately provide a comprehensive and thorough humanitarian plan that alleviates the suffering of Palestinians and restore life back to Gaza through early recovery programs and reconstruction.
Second, it is imperative that we offer a political roadmap that brings decisive closure to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict once and for all culminating in an independent Palestinian state and ensure that this latest horrific round of violence becomes the final one. Let me address both steps.
Israel says it has launched new ground operation in Gaza – Reuters Source Link Excerpt:
The Israeli military said on Wednesday its forces resumed ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip, as a second day of airstrikes killed at least 48 Palestinians, according to local health workers.
The renewed ground operations came a day after more than 400 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes in one of the deadliest episodes since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023, shattering a ceasefire that has largely held since January.
Thousands of Palestinians are once again fleeing towns in northern Gaza. They’re travelling, mostly by foot, to areas in the south like Khan Younis, after deadly Israeli strikes and evacuation warnings spread fears of further attacks.
UN Security Council discusses Israeli attack in Gaza – NHK WORLD Source Link Excerpt:
Members of the United Nations Security Council discussed the airstrikes that Israel carried out in Gaza on Tuesday. Many called for the ceasefire to be reestablished. However, the United States pushed back on the idea.
Health authorities in Gaza say the attacks killed at least 404 people. The Palestinian Permanent Observer to the UN, Riyad Mansour, said, “Palestinians are being killed indiscriminately, are being denied humanitarian aid indiscriminately, are being maimed and detained indiscriminately.”
Envoys from the UK, France and Russia joined Mansour in urging an immediate end to the fighting.
But the acting US Ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, blamed the attacks on Hamas. She said, “It is well known that Hamas continues to use civilian infrastructure as launching pads, and the United States condemns this practice, as should others.”
Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli airstrikes in Syria, urges UN to take action – Al Arabiya English Source Link Excerpt:
Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned an Israeli airstrike on Syrian territory, calling it a “flagrant violation of international law” and urging the United Nations Security Council to take action, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Kingdom denounced the attacks, saying they were part of repeated Israeli violations that threaten regional security and stability.
According to SPA, Riyadh called for an international response to prevent further escalation and ensure accountability.
Entire Families Wiped Out as Israel Resumes Genocidal Assault on Gaza – Common Dreams Source Link Excerpt:
Once again, entire families are being wiped out by Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip after U.S. President Donald Trumpreportedly gave the green light for the key American ally to resume its assault on the Palestinian enclave.
Israel unilaterally abrogated the crumbling eight-week cease-fire early Tuesday, unleashing a wave of ferocious strikes on the already flattened Gaza Strip, killing at least 404 people—including 174 children, 89 women, and 32 elders—and wounding at least 562 others, with the death toll expected to rise, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Azerbaijan and Israel strengthen ties with gas exploration deal– www.euronews.com Source Link Excerpt:
Baku is expanding its energy strategy beyond Central Asia by solidifying its presence in Israel.
Azerbaijan is set to increase its involvement in Israel’s energy sector, following a visit by Azerbaijani officials to Jerusalem.
A delegation led by Mikayil Jabbarov, Azerbaijan’s minister of the economy, recently held talks in Israel to finalise a key gas exploration deal.
The Azerbaijan State Oil Company (SOCAR) was awarded exploration rights by Israel in 2023. However, progress in the exploration of natural gas off the Israeli coast has been delayed by the war in Gaza, which began in October 2023.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad spokesman killed in Gaza strikes– www.yahoo.com Source Link Excerpt:
The spokesman for the militant organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) was killed in a massive Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the group said.
Naji Abu Saif, also known as Abu Hamsa, was killed during an “attack on his family and his brother’s family,” PIJ said.
The group is allied with Hamas, another Palestinian extremist group. Both organizations were involved in the October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel that triggered the latest Gaza war.
Both are said to be backed by Iran.
Palestinians search for their belongings among the rubble of their destroyed homes, following the Israeli airstrikes on Khan Yunis. Israel launched a series of airstrikes against the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after efforts to extend the ceasefire failed. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa