Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas that Israel would maintain a permanent presence in parts of Gaza unless the hostages are released, amid an escalation of violence in the territory.
A two-month ceasefire collapsed on Tuesday when Israel bombarded Gaza, shattering calm and exchanging dozens of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Katz said he instructed the Israeli military to seize additional areas, evacuate the population, and expand security zones around Gaza.
Katz linked Hamas’ refusal to release kidnapped individuals to losing territory to Israel. The US-backed proposal by President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff aims for a two-stage hostage deal with a ceasefire in between. However, Hamas insists on sticking to an agreed timeline.
The violence has killed over 500 people and injured nearly a thousand in Gaza, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry. Hamas fired rockets into Israel for the first time since the truce collapsed, but no casualties were reported.
Egypt, a key mediator in the conflict, described Israel’s actions as “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement, calling for an end to the war and renewed negotiations.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/21/middleeast/hamas-weighs-latest-us-ceasefire-plan-intl/index.html