The Israeli military says it has launched a “limited ground operation” to reclaim control of part of the Netzarim corridor, a key strategic strip of land that cuts Gaza in half.
This marks a significant escalation in Israel’s renewed offensive in Gaza, which has shattered a ceasefire agreement with Hamas that had been in place since January.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 436 Palestinians, including 183 children and 94 women, have been killed since the new wave of airstrikes began early Tuesday. Officials said Tuesday was the deadliest day in Gaza since the start of the war.
The Netzarim corridor, previously used as a military zone by Israel, bisects northern and southern Gaza. As part of the earlier ceasefire, Israel had withdrawn its forces from the area. However, the renewed offensive has seen Israeli forces re-enter the corridor.
The Israeli minister of military affairs, Israel Katz, warned that evacuations from combat zones in Gaza would resume soon.
He said that if prisoners held by Hamas were not released, “Israel will act with an intensity that you have not seen.”
In a televised address on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the deadly airstrikes were “just the beginning” of a broader military offensive in Gaza.
IRNA, 19 March 2025
