Israel resumes ground operations in Gaza
The Israeli army has announced the start of a ground operation in the Beit Lahia area in the north of the Gaza Strip. With this ground campaign, the first since the collapse of the ceasefire, the Israel Defence Forces are expanding their control towards the centre of the Netzarim Corridor, a key strip of land demarcated by Israel that divides Gaza in two, separating the centre of Gaza City and northern Gaza from the southern parts of the enclave bordering Egypt.
According to the army, the troops' objective is to ‘expand the security zone and create a partial buffer zone between northern and southern Gaza’. The air strikes also continue. Last night, the Israeli Air Force attacked approximately 40 underground targets, Hamas terrorists and military structures.
The Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza claims that more than 400 people have been killed since Israel resumed the war in the Palestinian enclave.
The terrorist group has also condemned Israel's ground operation, calling it a ‘new and dangerous violation’ of the ceasefire agreement. It has also fired several rockets at Tel Aviv, one of which was intercepted and two others fell in unpopulated areas.
On the other hand, during the early hours of this morning, Israel intercepted a missile launched from Yemen by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, which was aimed at Ben Gurion International Airport.
While Israel continues its offensive in Gaza, thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to demand an end to the war and the return of the hostages. Of the 251 people kidnapped during the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, 58 are still being held in Gaza by terrorist groups. An estimated 34 have been killed in captivity.
Paris Square in Jerusalem - Police forcibly removing a protester reading the names of the hostages.
Credit: Zohar Bar-Yehuda pic.twitter.com/ZdOvgn7kYl— We Are All Hostages (@AllHostages) March 19, 2025
During the first phase of the truce, which officially ended on 1 March, Hamas released 33 hostages, eight of them dead, in exchange for 1,800 Palestinian prisoners.
Since then, and despite diplomatic efforts, negotiations mediated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt have stalled due to disagreements between Israel and Hamas.
While the terrorist organisation is demanding to move on to the second stage of the agreement, which provides for a permanent ceasefire, the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the reopening of the border crossings, Jerusalem is seeking to extend the first phase of the agreement until mid-April.
Likewise, to move on to the second phase, that is, the permanent ceasefire, it requires the total demilitarisation of Gaza and the surrender of Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007.
