Israeli forces expanded ground operations across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, with Hamas launching rockets in central Israel for the first time in months.
Israeli soldiers have begun raiding parts of Rafa city in southern Gaza, the military said. These moves came the day after Israel announced it had recaptured part of the Netsarim Corridor, bisecting central Gaza, after withdrawing from the region as part of a January ceasefire with Hamas.
There were no reports of casualties from the Hamas Rockets. Hamas Rockets was fired in a coastal city in Tel Aviv. Israeli forces said three rockets were intercepted or fell into open areas.
The escalation of hostility comes after the two-month ceasefire in Gaza collapsed this week. Israel argued that the ceasefire could not continue unless Hamas releases hostages still in custody in Gaza, but Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement.
However, the potential endgame of this round of combat has clearly remained far from it. Israel and Hamas have set seemingly incompatible conditions for the next step in the ceasefire, and the new Israeli attack has yet to force Hamas to accept its demands.
Husam Badran, a senior Hamas official, said in an interview Thursday that the group did not want to disarm the military wing.
“If we do that, we will give the occupation an opportunity to kill without a Palestinian response,” Badran said from Doha, Qatar.
He added that Hamas had tried to delay the rocket until Thursday, giving the mediator time to pressure Israel to stop the attack. But as Israel continued its attack and death toll rose in Gaza, he said, “Hamas had to give them signs that it could be handled.”
Gazan Health Ministry said Thursday that more than 500 people have been killed in Gaza in the past three days due to a new Israeli attack. The numbers do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The United States, which was trying to mediate an extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, is throwing its weight behind Israeli attacks. White House spokesman Caroline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that President Trump “is fully support Israel” and “I am fully supportive of recent actions.”
After the Hamas rocket attack, Israeli forces warned the Palestinians in Banishaila in southern Gaza to flee, saying extremists were firing fire from the area. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee called it a “final advance warning” before Israel's attacks.
Hamas said at least five senior members of Gaza leadership are among the hundreds killed in the Israeli strike on Tuesday. Israeli forces said Thursday they killed at least two Hamas security officials.
In Gaza, the escalating conflict spurred panic and fear among Palestinians who wanted a longer rest from violence. Many said they had little hope for a crisis to be resolved anytime soon.
Gaza city doctor Abdelkarim al-Harazin, 28, said the armistice gave Palestinians several weeks to recover from a year of hunger and deprivation. The border intersection had resumed and aid was flowing.
He accused Israel of breaking the ceasefire. However, he also said Hamas leaders should hand over dozens of Israeli and foreign hostages of Israeli people.
“Everyone is tired,” said Al Harazin. “Do you need to live like this?”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to intensify pressure on Hamas until the group creates more hostages and releases them. According to Israel, about 24 living Israeli and foreign prisoners, as well as more than 30 other bodies, are believed to be in Gaza.
Hamas officials say their demand for the release of the remaining prisoners remains unchanged, including an agreement to end the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. and the release of more Palestinian prisoners.
According to the Gazan Ministry of Health, the 15-month war in Gaza killed more than 48,000 people on the territory, including thousands of children. Hamas sparked a conflict by leading a surprising attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The ceasefire reached in January secured a truce for the first six weeks, with mediators trying to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas in a comprehensive ceasefire. However, it passed in early March without broader agreement.
Almost immediately, Israel thwarted humanitarian assistance from entering Gaza, including food and medicine, in an apparent effort to oppress Hamas to free more hostages. The Israeli government then cut off the electricity it provided to desalination plants.
Mediators like the United States were trying to reach a deal to extend the ceasefire, including the lasting end of the war and the release of the remaining living hostages. Trump's Middle Eastern envoy, Steve Witkoff, proposed a proposal to extend the first ceasefire in exchange for the release of more prisoners.
Hamas official Badran suggested that the group would be willing to show flexibility in the discussions on a jumpstart aimed at ending the war. Previously, Hamas had spoken only about the release of one person's life and four murdered American and Israeli hostages in such an agreement, keeping more than 50 others in Gaza.
“The problem is not the numbers,” Budran said. “We are actively taking action on any suggestions that will lead to the start of negotiations.”
However, Israel did not want to end the war as long as Hamas still controlled Gaza. Hamas refuses to disband an armed battalion or to put leaders in exile.
Members of the Israeli Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and Defense Committee (who received a confidential intelligence briefing) said in a recent letter that Hamas still has more than 25,000 fighter jets.
Iran-backed Hamas allies in Yemen have resumed shooting missiles on Israeli territory, causing air raids in the central and southern parts of the country at least three times in the past two days.
Houthis, in solidarity with Gaza militants, fired missiles and drones in Israel for over a year, and was suspended only when a ceasefire came into effect in January.
Over the past week, US fighters have been carrying out massive attacks against the Houtis in Yemen. American officials declared that the group tried to stop targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
On Wednesday, Trump warned Iran to stop supporting extremists by saying the Houtis would be “completely wiped out.” Israel and the Biden administration were repeatedly firing the Houssis without stopping them.
Rawan Sheikh Ahmad, Ephrat livni and Myra Novek Reports of contributions.
