This week, Israel’s military ordered approximately 140,000 people in Rafah to evacuate their homes and issued new evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza.

Throughout the war, Israel has significantly expanded a buffer zone along Gaza’s borders and taken control of a strategic corridor cutting through the center of the territory.

Israel launched its renewed offensive on March 18, citing Hamas’s rejection of a US-backed ceasefire proposal to secure the release of 59 hostages still held in Gaza. Hamas, however, accused Israel of violating the January ceasefire agreement.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum in Israel expressed shock over the military expansion, urging the government to prioritize securing the release of all remaining hostages.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called on Gazans to remove Hamas from power and secure the release of Israeli hostages, though he did not specify how they should achieve this.

Escalating Humanitarian Crisis

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated sharply, with Israel blocking aid deliveries since March 2—marking the longest such restriction since the war began.

Last month, the United Nations reduced operations in Gaza after Israeli forces killed eight Palestinian medics, six Civil Defense first responders, and a UN staff member in southern Gaza.

Israel’s military launched its offensive against Hamas in response to the October 7, 2023, cross-border attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

Since then, the Hamas-run health ministry reports that more than 50,399 people have been killed in Gaza.