Jerusalem: Israel’s defence minister has announced that the military will soon “vigorously” expand its offensive throughout most of Gaza.
The announcement came as Israel claimed it had taken over a security zone in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, specifically between the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis. As part of this offensive, evacuation orders have been issued for Khan Younis and nearby areas in preparation for further strikes against projectiles launched from Gaza, for which Hamas has claimed responsibility.
The offensive is part of an ongoing campaign that resumed on 18 March 2025 following the collapse of a two-month ceasefire. Since then, Israel has seized large areas of Gaza, including land along the entire border.
The creation of these buffer zones is meant to prevent further attacks, pressure Hamas to free the 59 remaining hostages (with some believed to be still alive), and to protect Israeli civilians from harm. The takeover of the corridor, dubbed the “Morag axis,” effectively cuts off the southern city of Rafah from Khan Younis and makes up almost one-fifth of Gaza.
Israeli officials have indicated that the strategy now involves expanding the security zones to include additional locations in northern Gaza, such as Beit Hanoun and the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza.
These areas are being evacuated so that they too can be added to the security zone. The government states that this is a last chance to remove Hamas and secure the release of hostages, urging those in the designated zones to leave immediately.
The news comes amid ongoing criticisms from international bodies. The United Nations’ human rights office has warned that the evacuation orders do not meet international law standards because they fail to provide adequate shelter, hygiene, health, and nutrition for the displaced civilians. In response, the Israeli government maintains that the evacuations are necessary to protect civilians from harm and prevent Hamas from using them as human shields.
This latest phase of the offensive follows a long campaign launched in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, which left around 1,200 people dead and 251 hostages taken.
This detailed expansion of the offensive, reported by BBC and AFP, reflects the intensifying conflict in the Gaza Strip as Israel continues its military operations against Hamas, even as international concern grows over civilian casualties and the humanitarian impact of the widening security zones.
