Israel orders army to ‘seize more ground’ in Gaza if Hamas does not release hostages

Call from defence minister comes as Supreme Court freezes Benjamin Netanyahuâ??s sacking of the domestic intelligence chief

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Israel’s defence minister has told the military to “seize additional areas in Gaza” and threatened to permanently occupy parts of it if Hamas does not free all remaining hostages.

Israel Katz said that the military would continue its ground operation in Gaza “with increasing intensity” until all of the hostages “both living and dead” were returned.

“We will intensify the fighting with strikes from the air, sea and land and by expanding the ground manoeuvre until the hostages are released and Hamas is defeated,” Mr Katz said. “The more Hamas continues its refusal to release the kidnapped, the more territory it will lose to Israel”.

It is believed that there are 59 hostages still held in Gaza, but a significant number are thought to be dead. The war inside Gaza was triggered by an attack by Hamas inside Israel on 7 October 2023, during which around 1,200 people were killed and another 250 people taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed 49,000 Palestinians according to the enclave’s health ministry and forced 90 per cent of its 2.3 million residents from their homes.

A temporary, first phase of a ceasefire ended at the start of this month. The truce agreed to in mid-January was a three-phase plan meant to lead to a long-term cessation of hostilities, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the return of all hostages taken by Hamas.

But Israel and Hamas could not overcome differences over terms for launching the second phase. Israel has accused Hamas of rejecting proposals to extend the ceasefire. Hamas has said it is “engaging with the mediators with full responsibility and seriousness”. Hamas said on Friday it was reviewing a US proposal to restore the ceasefire.

After two months of relative calm, Gazans were again fleeing for their lives after Israel launched a new, all-out air and ground campaign against Hamas on Tuesday, after halting all aid deliveries into the narrow coastal enclave. Around 600 people have been killed since the bombing campaign restarted, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Strip.

Ronen Bar, chief of Israel’s domestic Shin Bet security agency, has been fired (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

It comes as Israel’s Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction on Friday, temporarily freezing the dismissal of the head of the domestic intelligence service.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last week that he had lost confidence in Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and intended to dismiss him, prompting tens of thousands to join demonstrations in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv this week protesting the sacking, which critics saw as an attempt to undermine key state institutions.

The Israeli government voted unanimously to approve the Shin Bet leader’s removal on Thursday night, the prime minister’s office said in a statement. “Ronen Bar will conclude his duties on 10 April 2025 or when a permanent ISA Director is appointed – whichever comes first,” Mr Netanyahu’s office said.

Police and protesters clashed in Jerusalem on Thursday (REUTERS )

But the new ruling will allow the Supreme Court to consider petitions launched against the dismissal, with a decision no later than 8 April, a statement from the court said.

The anti-Netanyahu protesters joined forces with protesters angry about the decision to resume fighting in Gaza.

“We’re very, very worried that our country is becoming a dictatorship,” Rinat Hadashi, 59, told Reuters in Jerusalem on Thursday.

“They’re abandoning our hostages, they’re neglecting all the important things for this country.”

Children look on as people walk amid the rubble of a building destroyed in an overnight Israeli strike in Jabalia, in the Northern Gaza Strip this week (AFP via Getty Images)

Police turned water cannons on the protesters on Thursday and arrested several in Tel Aviv after a scuffle between demonstrators and police, while the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem was closed after protesters tried to break through security cordons.

Shin Bet, which has been led by Mr Bar since 2021, is responsible for counterterrorism efforts across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories and the security of Israeli officials.

Mr Bar had already announced his decision to step down early and take responsibility for one of the biggest failings of domestic intelligence, where Shin Bet failed to prevent the Hamas attack.

The dismissal of Mr Bar followed more than two years of hostility between Netanyahu supporters and elements of the security and defence establishment, which was worsened by blame over the failures that led to 7 October 2023.

Mr Netanyahu, with a secure majority in parliament and bolstered by the return of hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, has been able to brush off the protests, but they underline divisions in Israeli society that have deepened since his return to power at the end of 2022.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report

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