Israel will permanently seize parts of the Gaza strip if Hamas refuses to release hostages still held in captivity, the nation’s defence minister has said.
Israel Katz said his country’s military forces would ‘intensify’ its campaign and instructed the army to ‘seize additional areas’ in the besieged territory.
He suggested that Israel would continue to ‘take more and more territory’ permanently if the remaning hostages are not freed.
Earlier this week Israeli forces resumed ground operations in the Gaza strip and took control of the Netzarim Corridor, which bisects the territory, meaning travelling from north to south Gaza is now impossible.
Today Katz announced he had instructed the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to evacuate civillians from targeted areas and establish control.
He said: ‘The more Hamas persists in its refusal to release the hostages, the more territory it will lose.
‘If the hostages are not released, Israel will continue to take more and more territory in the Strip for permanent control.
‘I have directed the IDF to expand the maneuver, take control of more ground and hold it permanently to protect Israeli communities and soldiers.’
Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesman, told MailOnline: ‘Threats by the Israeli government to annex parts of Gaza would violate the rights of Palestinians and breach international law.
‘Hamas now needs to unconditionally and immediately release the remaining hostages. Their treatment of the hostages – both in captivity and during their release – has been despicable.
‘Israel needs to cease its bombardment of Gaza now and recommit to the ceasefire.
‘The UK Government should be working around the clock to make clear to the Israeli Government that it must change course.
‘The losers from the behaviour of extremists on both sides are the children, women and men who want to see peace and a pathway to a two-state solution.’
Andreas Krieg, associate professor of security studies at King’s College London, said that Israeli officials are hoping to ‘lock the people of Gaza up into smaller cells and then move in.’
He told Al Jazeera: ‘It wants to seize territory and potentially never return it.’
Israel’s renewed offensive in Gaza started on Tuesday after talks to extend the fragile ceasefire deal brokered in January failed.
More than 200 children have been killed amid devastating airstrikes and ground assaults, according to Unicef, with medical authorities saying the total death toll has reached 590.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed on Thursday that a UK national had been wounded in a strike on a UN compound in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
Israel says Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to still be alive.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the new offensive will continue until ‘total victory’ is achieved over Hamas and all the hostages are freed.
They had demanded Hamas accept an extention to the first phase of the ceasefire, but the militant group wanted to start talks on the second phase, which would see the release of the remaining Israeli hostages, withdrawal of Israeli forces and a permanent end to war.
Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said that negotiations are not over yet, although Netanyahu has declared that any further negotiations with Hamas will only take place ‘under fire.’
Israel have ramped up pressure in recent weeks by blocking the entry of much-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Earlier this month, the energy minister Eli Cohen ordered all of Gaza’s electricity supply to be cut off.
Sam Rose, director of planning at the UN’s relief agency for Palestinian refugees, said: ‘This is the longest period since the start of conflict in October 2023 that no supplies whatsoever have entered Gaza.
‘The progress we made as an aid system over the last six weeks of the ceasefire is being reversed.’
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on Wednesday that medics were struggling to cope with the sharp influx of casualties in Gaza.
In a statement, they said: ‘Due to the recent suspension of humanitarian aid into Gaza, stocks of medical supplies have dropped significantly and on top of this, hospital staff are struggling to manage the sharp increase of casualties.’
The International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies say just 23 of their 53 medical vehicles and ambulances are still in service.
‘It is becoming increasingly difficult for the Palestine Red Crescent to provide life-saving treatment and run its ambulance service,’ they said.
Netanyahu has also faced domestic pressure over the continued military campaign.
On Thursday police fired water cannons and made numerous arrests in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as demonstrators gathered to accuse the Prime Minister of abandoning the remaining Israeli hostages.
More than 49,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the initial Israeli invasion in October 2023.
