Politics Israel increases pressure on Hamas with new Gaza offensive
With a renewed ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, Israel is increasing the pressure on the Islamist Hamas. The "extensive attacks" against Hamas members and the terrorist organization's infrastructure will continue throughout the coastal area, the army announced in the evening.
20.03.2025, 04:43
SDA
In Jerusalem, thousands protested into the night against the resumption of the Gaza war. The renewed Israeli military operation will also be discussed today at the EU summit in Brussels.
According to Palestinian reports, the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip have again left many dead. An air strike in the north of the sealed-off coastal area killed at least 24 people on Wednesday evening, according to medical circles in Gaza. When asked, the Israeli army said that an aircraft had hit around ten Hamas terrorists.
Since Tuesday night, Israel's army has been attacking targets of Hamas and its allied Islamists from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad with massive air strikes. This effectively ended the ceasefire that had been in place since January 19. Both sides blame each other for this: Israel accuses Hamas of repeatedly refusing to release hostages. The Palestinian organization in turn accuses Israel's government of unilaterally terminating the ceasefire.
Minister threatens "complete devastation" of Gaza
Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz demanded the release of the remaining hostages and the expulsion of Hamas from the Gaza Strip. "The alternative is complete devastation." According to Israeli information, 24 living hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip, as well as the bodies of 35 abductees.
According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, at least 436 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the resumption of Israeli attacks, including 183 minors. The figures do not distinguish between civilians and fighters and cannot be independently verified.
Israel wants to create a buffer zone in the Gaza Strip
With its latest "targeted ground attacks", the Israeli army says it wants to create a limited buffer zone between the north and south of the Gaza Strip. As part of the offensive, the troops have also extended their control of the so-called Netzarim corridor, which divides the coastal strip into a northern and a southern half. Israeli soldiers had advanced to the middle of the strategically important zone.
Hamas spoke of a "serious violation of the ceasefire agreement". In February, Israel's army withdrew from the corridor as part of the agreement - with the exception of a one-kilometer-wide area directly on the border with Israel.
The USA, Qatar and Egypt had negotiated a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which had been in place since January and was initially valid for six weeks. So far, the two sides have been unable to agree on the conditions for an extension. Israel had threatened to resume the war if Hamas did not release any more hostages.
France condemns Israeli attacks
Criticism of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip came from France, among others. Following a telephone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on Platform X: "As far as the Middle East is concerned, we condemn the resumption of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. A return to the ceasefire is essential for the release of all hostages and the protection of the civilian population."
France will lead a conference on a two-state solution together with Saudi Arabia, Macron continued. It must contribute to finding a political solution that is acceptable to Israelis and Palestinians.
UN employee killed in Gaza
According to the United Nations, at least one of its staff members was killed in an attack on a UN facility in Gaza on Wednesday. Other people were injured, some of them seriously. "This cannot be an accident," said the Executive Director of the Office for Project Services (Unops), Jorge Moreira da Silva. Palestinian reports blamed Israel. Israel rejected the accusations.
Riots during protests in Jerusalem
In Jerusalem, tens of thousands protested into the night against the restart of the Gaza war and the planned dismissal of the head of the domestic intelligence service. Several media reported clashes between police and demonstrators and at least twelve arrests. According to reports, Netanyahu wants the government to approve the decision to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar this evening.
In an investigation by the domestic intelligence service into the mistakes that made the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023 possible, Netanyahu did not come off well either. Critics in Israel fear that he wants to replace Bar with a successor who is loyal to him.
The Gaza war was triggered by the attack on Israel by Hamas and other extremist groups on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 Israelis were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip. According to the health authority, around 49,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since then. The figures cannot be independently verified. Israel has so far spoken of around 20,000 terrorists killed.
