Politics Israeli army: Ground operations have begun in Gaza
According to Israel's army, it has launched a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. The aim is to create a limited buffer zone between the north and south of the territory, the Israeli military announced. According to the statement, the "targeted ground attacks" follow massive Israeli air strikes on the coastal area since Tuesday night, which effectively ended the ceasefire that had been in place since January.
19.03.2025, 17:44
SDA
As part of the offensive, ground troops have also extended their control of the so-called Netzarim corridor, it was reported. This divides the coastal strip into a northern and a southern half. Israeli soldiers had advanced to the middle of the strategically important corridor.
In February, Israel's army withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor as part of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, with the exception of a one-kilometer-wide area directly on the border with Israel. This allowed Palestinians who had been displaced from northern cities to the south as a result of the war to return to their homes in large numbers. The impact on the movement of the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip was initially unclear.
According to the Israeli army, ground troops have been deployed in the center and south of the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours. According to the Israeli military, the "targeted ground operations" are also intended to expand an unspecified "security zone".
On Tuesday night, for the first time since a ceasefire began around two months ago, the Israeli air force once again massively bombed Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) targets in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, at least 436 people have been killed so far, including 183 minors and 94 women. The figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified at present.
