Gazans fleeing Israel’s ongoing assaults in Gaza (Photo: X/@QudsNen)
Israel is intensifying its ground operation in Gaza. Advancing Israeli forces are carving out a new “security corridor” across southern Gaza to isolate the city of Rafah.
Defence minister Israel Katz said Israel’s aim is to “crush and clean the area” to “capture extensive territory that will be added to the State of Israel’s security areas”.
“We do not know how the situation will go, but Israel wants to build a wider isolated area,” Palestinian journalist Alaa told Socialist Worker.
“Israeli forces forcibly kicked people out of their areas and homes. Still they are committing genocide against women and children while saying their nonsense justifications.
“People do not know where to go as they have been displaced several times. We chase for necessary needs as we are in a race not to be starved.”
She added, “This is our daily life—witnessing death in every corner.”
The renewed ground offensive has also seen Israel regain control of the Netzarim Corridor, which cuts off northern Gaza.
On Thursday morning, Israel killed at least 54 Palestinians in a brutal air assault on Gaza.
And alongside the ground and air operations, Israeli forces announced evacuation orders for Palestinians in Beit Hanoun and Jabalia.
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, “We have shifted gears in the Gaza Strip.
“We are now cutting off the Strip and we are increasing the pressure step by step—so they will give us our hostages. The longer they refuse to give them up, the more the pressure will increase until they do.”
But Israel is refusing to stick to the initial ceasefire agreement which began in January. Palestinian resistance group Hamas has offered to release all hostages if Israel agrees to a permanent ceasefire.
On Thursday, foreign minister Gideon Saar said the way to end the war is “simple”—“Hostages back, Hamas out.”
“We are still giving a chance to negotiations to extend the ceasefire and release our hostages on the basis of Witkoff’s proposal.”
That’s the proposal that Palestinians are removed from Gaza to allow Donald Trump to build the “Riveria of the Middle East” on the graves of Palestinians. It’s an open call to ethnically cleanse Gaza.
Israel’s ongoing escalation in Gaza confirms the Zionist regime will not stop until it has ethnically cleansed Palestine.
Since Israel has renewed its genocidal assault, it has killed over 1,100 people. No aid has entered Gaza for over a month. All of the World Food bakeries have been forced to shut and hospitals are rationing pain killers.
Meanwhile, Israel is also continuing a brutal occupation of the West Bank. Following the security cabinet’s approval of 13 new Israeli settlements in March, finance minister Bezalel Smotrich declared that far right settlers are “here to stay”.
Settlers continue to terrorise the West Bank. On Wednesday, around 50 settlers attacked and burned Palestinian homes in the village of Duma.
A West Bank resident told Socialist Worker, “Israelis enter and exit, enter our houses and demolish them. The streets are covered in dirt and rubble due to bulldozing.
“But Israel opens the roads from the houses so they can get to them after Palestinian owners have been displaced.”
Amid its campaign of occupation, bombs and starvation in Palestine, Israel is spreading terror across the Middle East.
Israel has bombed Beirut, Lebanon’s capital, killing four people. Israel has constantly violated the ceasefire with Lebanon since it began in November, but it’s the first time Israel has attacked the capital.
And Israel has bombed the capital Damascus and the southern city of Derra, killing nine people.
In Yemen, the Houthis have struck another US ship. The Yemeni resistance group is attacking Israel and US-linked ships in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s ramping up its genocide in Gaza.
The US has responded by bombing Yemen to undermine the Houthis’ threat to Israel and US shipping interests.
Throughout Israel’s campaign of terror, the West has done everything it can to protect Israel.
As Britain continues to sell arms to Israel, it’s essential the Palestine movement escalates and targets arms companies through mass action.
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Mass movement for Palestine has shifted public opinion
Plus: How the Israeli far right are building off the far right in Britain
