Israel expands operations in Gaza as 21 killed yesterday

Israel has announced it had completed construction of a new security corridor cutting off the southern city of Rafah from the rest of Gaza, and the military said it would soon expand vigorously” in most of the small coastal territory. Palestinians were further squeezed into shrinking areas.

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“Activity will expand rapidly to additional locations throughout most of Gaza and you will have to evacuate the fighting zones,” defence minister Israel Katz said in a statement, without saying where Palestinians were meant to go.

The statement urged Palestinians to remove Hamas and release the remaining hostages, saying: “This is the only way to stop the war.”

Israeli troops were deployed last week to the new security corridor referred to as Morag, the name of a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, after the army ordered sweeping evacuations covering most of Rafah – an indication it could soon launch another major ground operation.

The Rafah municipality in a statement called Israel’s actions a “flagrant breach of international legitimacy”.

Israel has vowed to seize large parts of Gaza to pressure Hamas to release the remaining 59 hostages, 24 of them believed to be alive, and accept proposed new ceasefire terms.