Israel Expands Military Offensive Throughout Gaza, Evacuations Ordered

The Israeli military is intensifying its offensive against Hamas, prompting widespread evacuations and raising international law concerns.

Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has declared a significant escalation in their military campaign across much of Gaza, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) now having secured a "security zone" separating the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis. Katz advised that preparatory actions are underway for an extensive offensive in these regions following projectile strikes claimed by Hamas.

Since resuming military actions on March 18 after a two-month ceasefire, Israel has swiftly reclaimed large tracts of Gaza, causing mass displacements of residents. The IDF has now established control over the full length of Gaza's borders, a strategy identified as essential to deter any further hostilities. Israeli authorities underscore the primary aim of this operation is to apply pressure on Hamas to release the 59 remaining hostages, with 24 confirmed alive.

On Saturday, Katz confirmed the IDF's capture of the so-called "Morag axis," linking the strategic territories of Rafah and Khan Younis as part of its expanded security operations. This takeover effectively segregates Rafah from Khan Younis, with Rafah accounting for nearly 20% of Gaza's population. With an emphasized push from the IDF, residents in targeted areas are mandated to vacate, as Katz stated, “This is the last moment to remove Hamas and release the hostages.”

Further efforts to evacuate territories in northern Gaza and the central Netzarim Corridor were also mentioned, as the military continues to strengthen its grip in these pivotal areas. However, this harsh escalation has garnered criticism due to the resulting humanitarian crisis, with Hamas articulating that the assault has led to civilian casualties and jeopardized the hostages' safety.

The United Nations' human rights office has condemned the evacuation orders for not being in compliance with international law, contending that Israel has failed to establish basic provisions for those displaced from their homes. Contrarily, the Israeli government maintains that these measures serve to protect civilians from being exploited as "human shields" by Hamas, denouncing such uses in contravention of international regulations.

On the ground, the conflict escalated further as recent reports from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza indicated at least 21 civilians had perished in a 24-hour span due to the ongoing hostilities, with over 64 others injured. Since the conflict reignited after the unprecedented cross-border assault on October 7, which led to the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and left 251 people abducted, Gaza has witnessed grave casualties, with official tallies reporting more than 50,933 fatalities, including 1,563 since the recent resurgence of hostilities.