Israeli forces have resumed ground operations in central and southern Gaza, aiming to establish a "partial buffer zone" between the north and south. This operation coincided with airstrikes that resulted in the deaths of at least 38 Palestinians on the same day, following 48 hours in which, according to Palestinian health officials, over 400 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes. The renewed military activity has heightened tensions in the region and raised concerns about the escalating humanitarian crisis.
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03-20, 2025The Israeli military stated that they have retaken part of the Netzarim Corridor, which separates northern and southern Gaza, after having withdrawn from the area as part of a ceasefire agreement that began in January. According to a military statement, its forces "have begun focused ground operations in central and southern Gaza with the aim of expanding the security zone and establishing a partial buffer zone between northern and southern Gaza." The re-establishment of control over the Netzarim Corridor is seen as a strategic move to enhance security and control movement within the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian armed group Hamas stated that the ground operation and incursion into the Netzarim Corridor are a "new and dangerous violation" of the two-month-old ceasefire agreement. In a statement, the organization reiterated its commitment to the agreement and called on mediators to "assume their responsibilities." Hamas spokesman Abdul-Latif Qanou said that the ground forces' advance in Gaza clearly indicates that Israel has withdrawn from the truce agreement and is re-imposing a "blockade." It remains unclear whether this move will completely prevent Palestinians from traveling north or south through the Netzarim Corridor, further restricting their freedom of movement.
The Gaza Health Ministry stated that on Wednesday, a foreign national was killed and four others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on the UN headquarters in central Gaza City. Local health workers reported that Israeli attacks also killed at least 38 Palestinians in Gaza, as the Israeli military resumed bombing and issued new orders for residents to evacuate war zones. During Wednesday's violence, Gaza health officials said that three people died in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza City, and two men were killed and six injured in an airstrike in the northern town of Beit Hanoun, highlighting the widespread impact of the renewed conflict.
Palestinian medics stated that Israeli tank shelling of Salah al-Din Road killed one Palestinian and injured several others, while Israeli airstrikes killed three people in a house in the northern town of Beit Lahia in the enclave. Israeli naval vessels also attacked several boats, which Israel claimed were attempting to carry out "terrorist" acts by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants. Palestinians said that an Israeli drone fired on several fishing boats off the coast of Gaza City, burning several of them, impacting the livelihoods of local fishermen.
The Israeli military denied attacking the UN compound in Deir al-Balah. It stated that it attacked a Hamas site in northern Gaza, where it detected preparations to fire into Israeli territory. On Tuesday, according to Palestinian health officials, Israeli airstrikes killed more than 400 people, marking the highest single-day death toll since the conflict began and ending weeks of relative calm since the January ceasefire. Israel warned that the attack was "just the beginning," signaling a potential escalation of the conflict.
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the truce agreement, which provided a respite for Gaza's 2.3 million residents after 17 months of war that had leveled the enclave and forced most of the population to be displaced multiple times. Israel accuses Hamas of using Palestinian civilians as human shields. The Palestinian Islamic organization denies these accusations and accuses Israel of carrying out indiscriminate bombing, each side blaming the other for the breakdown of the ceasefire.
On Wednesday, Israeli forces distributed leaflets in northern and southern Gaza, telling residents to evacuate their homes, warning them that they were in a "dangerous war zone." A leaflet distributed in Beit Hanoun read: "Staying in shelters or your current tents endangers your life and the lives of your families, evacuate immediately." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he had ordered the attacks because Hamas had rejected proposals to ensure the extension of the ceasefire agreement until April, indicating a breakdown in negotiations.
Hamas is still holding 59 of the approximately 250 hostages Israel says the group captured in the October 7, 2023 cross-border attack, and the organization accuses Israel of undermining mediators' efforts to negotiate a permanent end to the fighting. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday that she told Israeli Foreign Minister Gidon Saar that the situation in Gaza was "unacceptable." Jordan's King Abdullah, meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, called for a resumption of the ceasefire and the restoration of aid flows. "Israel's resumption of attacks on Gaza is an extremely dangerous step that brings further devastation to an already dire humanitarian situation," he said, reflecting international concern over the renewed violence.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on all parties to exercise restraint, ahead of her trip to Lebanon to discuss the conflict. "The resumption of fighting... jeopardizes the positive efforts by Arab states to seek a peaceful path for Gaza, one that would free Gaza from Hamas' control," Ms. Baerbock said. Israel and Western powers do not want the Palestinian Islamic organization Hamas to play any role in the Gaza enclave after the war. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas, but the Palestinian armed group remains the dominant force in Gaza, making a complete eradication challenging.
Arab countries have drawn up a plan for Gaza's peace and reconstruction after a proposal by US President Donald Trump to resettle Palestinians and turn it into a Middle Eastern "Riviera" sparked outrage in the region. However, the plan has yet to gain traction. Hamas officials said they remained eager to reach the signed three-phase ceasefire agreement. Hamas-led gunmen attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting about 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures, shattering Israel's reputation for invincibility in a hostile region.
According to Palestinian health officials, subsequent Israeli operations in Gaza have killed more than 49,000 people and caused a humanitarian crisis, with shortages of food, fuel, and water, leading to a dire situation for the civilian population.
