The Israeli army announced that it has launched a new ground offensive east of Gaza City on April 4, aiming to expand the security zone it has created inside the Palestinian enclave.
Israel said its troops have begun carrying out military activities in the Shejaija area, north of Gaza, in recent hours.
"The troops eliminated a number of terrorists and destroyed Hamas infrastructure, including a command center that Hamas terrorists used to plan and carry out terrorist attacks," the army statement said.
Israel said civilians would be allowed to evacuate from fighting zones via "routes organized for their safety."
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the day before that his state would increase its military presence inside the Gaza Strip to "destroy and cleanse the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure."
The operation aims to take "large areas under control and incorporate them into the Israeli security zone," he said, without giving further details.
Israel has said it will continue its offensive in Gaza, aiming to force Hamas - the Palestinian group designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union - to release hostages it took during the attack on Israel in October 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza.
During the attack on October 7, 2023, Hamas killed nearly 1,200 people and kidnapped nearly 250 others. As a result of the Israeli offensive, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza./ REL (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
