Israeli Defense Minister Vows to Permanently Occupy Gaza If One Condition Is Not Met

According to the Jerusalem newspaper, on March 21, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will permanently occupy some areas of the Gaza Strip if Hamas does not release the hostages being held.

"I have instructed the IDF to take more areas in Gaza, evacuate civilians and expand security zones around Gaza to protect Israeli communities and IDF soldiers. The more Hamas refuses to release the hostages, the more territory it will lose, and this territory will be annexed to Israel," Katz said.

"If the hostages are not released, Israel will continue to occupy more territory in the Gaza Strip for long-term control," Mr. Katz emphasized.

Earlier on March 20, the Israeli Defense Minister approved the continuation of military operations in Gaza. Mr. Katz stressed the importance of continuing military pressure on Gaza until the hostages are released.

According to some sources, of the more than 250 people initially arrested during Hamas' offensive on Israel in October 2023, 59 are still being held in Gaza, but only 24 are believed to be alive.

On the evening of March 20, the IDF announced that it had four separate forces operating simultaneously in each of the main areas of Gaza. Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip began on March 19, when IDF tanks and infantry advanced into central Gaza at the Netzarim Corridor, cutting off the border between northern and southern Gaza.

Meanwhile, according to Arab News, on March 21, Hamas said it was considering a US proposal to restore a ceasefire in Gaza as Israel increased military operations in the enclave.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff's "bridge" plan, presented last week, aims to extend the ceasefire until April, after the Muslim month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover, to allow time to negotiate a permanent ceasefire.

Arab News noted that while Israel inflicted serious damage on Hamas with airstrikes this week that killed the Gaza government leader and other senior officials, Palestinian and Israeli sources said Hamas had shown it could withstand major losses and still fight and govern there.

Hamas said it was still discussing US envoy Witkoff's proposal and other ideas, with the aim of reaching an agreement on releasing prisoners, ending the war and ensuring a complete Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

A Palestinian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that Egypt had also made a “bridging” proposal but that Hamas had not yet responded. The official declined to give details of the proposal, which he said was under consideration.

Egypt has proposed a timeline for the release of the remaining hostages along with a deadline for Israel to withdraw from Gaza with guarantees from the United States, two security sources said. The US has signaled initial approval for the plan, while Hamas and Israel are expected to respond soon, the sources said.

The first temporary phase of the ceasefire ended earlier this month, but Israel and Hamas appear unable to overcome differences over the terms of a second phase. Hamas has delayed the release of more hostages and then Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip.

After two months of relative calm, Gazans are again fleeing for their lives after Israel launched a new all-out air and ground campaign against Hamas on March 18, after once again halting all aid deliveries into the narrow coastal enclave.

More than 400 Palestinians were killed on the first day of renewed Israeli air strikes - one of the bloodiest days of the 17-month war. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), one of the largest food aid providers in Gaza, warned on March 21 that it had only enough flour to distribute for the next six days.

"We can extend that time by giving people less, but we are talking about days, not weeks," UNRWA official Sam Rose told reporters in Geneva in an online briefing from central Gaza. UNRWA also said the humanitarian situation in Gaza had once again become alarming due to sharp cuts in aid deliveries.

“This is the longest period since the conflict began in October 2023 without any supplies entering Gaza. The progress we have made as an aid system in the last six weeks of ceasefire is being reversed,” Rose added.

Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip has led to a rise in the price of essential foods and fuel, forcing many people to rebalance their diets.

The war between Israel and Hamas erupted after Hamas militants launched an attack on Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli statistics. Meanwhile, according to Gaza's health authorities, more than 49,000 Palestinians were killed in the ensuing conflict, with much of the densely populated territory reduced to rubble.