Israeli Defence Minister Israel Kaetz on Wednesday said that his country was expanding its military operations in Gaza to “ that will be added to the State of Israel’s security areas”, reported The Times of Israel.

The military will move to “clear areas of terrorists and infrastructure”, Katz was quoted as saying.

He also said the residents of Gaza should “act now to overthrow Hamas and return all the hostages”. “This is the only way to ,” said Katz.

The Palestinian militant group still holds it had taken hostage on October 7, 2023, during an incursion into southern Israel, according to the Associated Press. Most of the other hostages were released during the ceasefires.

The statement by Katz came two weeks after Israel on Gaza, breaking the latest ceasefire that took effect on January 19.

The Israeli troops killed on March 18. On March 20, Hamas said it at Tel Aviv in response to Israel’s “massacres” of civilians in Gaza.

Hamas had stated that Israel’s actions were an “” that would put the hostages at risk. The Palestinian militant group had also to “raise their voice in rejection of the resumption of the Zionist war of extermination against our people in the Gaza Strip”.

On Saturday, the...