Deir al-Balah: Israel’s overnight strike killed at least 55 people in the Gaza Strip, hospital officials said Thursday. Israel vowed to escalate the war with Hamas for nearly 18 months until militant groups returned dozens of hostages, disarmed and left the territory. Israel imposed a month-long pause on imports of all imported food, fuel and humanitarian aid, which puts civilians in an acute shortage as supplies diminish.
Officials from Khan Younis in the southern part of the strip said the bodies of 14 people had been taken to Nasser Hospital, nine of whom were from the same family. The deceased included five children and four women. The bodies of 19 other people, including five children aged 1 to 7 and a pregnant woman, were taken to a European hospital near Khan Yunis, hospital officials said. In Gaza City, 21 bodies were taken to AHLI hospitals, including seven children.
The attack comes as the Israeli military said an independent agency would investigate the March 23 operation, in which its troops opened fire on ambulances in Gaza. It said it investigated allegations of misconduct by its troops and held them accountable. Such investigations are often lacking and soldiers are rarely punished, rights groups say. The military said the investigation will be “responsible for inspecting special events” by an expert fact-finding agency.
Additionally, the military ordered the evacuation of residents of several areas – Shujaiya, Jadida, Turkomen and Eastern Zeytoun – on Thursday, adding that the army “will work on extreme forces in your area”. It said people should move to a shelter west of Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that Israel is building a new security corridor in the Gaza Strip to put pressure on Hamas, indicating it will cut off the southern city of Rafa, which has ordered evacuation from other parts of Palestine.
Netanyahu calls the new axis the Morag corridor, using the name of the Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, suggesting it will run between the two southern cities. He said it would be the “second Philadelphia Corridor” referring to the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, which has been under control since May last year.
Israel has regained control of the Netzarim Corridor, which was also named for the former settlements that separated one-third of northern Gaza (including the city of Gaza) from the narrow coastal zone. Both existing corridors range from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean. “We are cutting striptease, we are gradually increasing the pressure so they will give us hostages,” Netanyahu said.
The West-backed Palestinian Authority, led by Hamas’ rivals, said it was a corridor of “total rejection” of the plan. Its statement also calls on Hamas to give up its power in Gaza, while militant groups face rare protests recently. Netanyahu’s announcement comes after Defense Minister Katz said Israel would seize large swaths of the Gaza region and add it to its so-called security zone, apparently referring to the existing buffer zone throughout the periphery of Gaza. He called on Gaza residents to “exit Hamas and return to all hostages”, saying “this is the only way to end the war”.
Hamas said it will release only the remaining 59 hostages (those believed to be 24) in exchange for the release of more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and Israeli evacuation. The group refused to ask it to lay down its weapons or leave its territory. The Israeli military said an independent agency will investigate the March 23 operation, which the United Nations said killed 15 nursing staff, including eight from the Palestinian Red Crescent. The military initially said the ambulance was operating suspiciously and nine militants were killed.
“We take this case very seriously,” said Lt. Colonel Nadav Shoshani, Israeli military spokesman. “We are very concerned about our relationship with different organizations. Obviously, the Red Moon is one of the organizations we work with.” Netanyahu arrived in Hungary in Hungary earlier Thursday since the World’s Supreme Court of War Crime issued an arrest warrant for Israel’s war in Gaza in November.
The ICC, based in The Hague, Netherlands, has reason to believe that Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have used “hunger as a method of war” by limiting humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and in Israel’s campaign against Hamas.
ICC member states (such as Hungary) must arrest suspects and if they step on the soil, a warrant must be arrested, but the court has no way to enforce the matter and rely on the states to comply. When Netanyahu arrived in Budapest, Hungary said it would begin the process of withdrawing from the International Criminal Court.
Gaza’s plan
Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel plans to maintain overall security controls in Gaza after the war and implement a proposal made by U.S. President Donald Trump to relocate it elsewhere through what Israeli leaders call “voluntary immigration.” Palestinians rejected the plan, deemed expelled after Israel’s offense made many unhabitable, and human rights experts say the implementation of the plan could violate international law.
The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and hijacking 251 hostages, most of whom were released in a ceasefire agreement and other deals. Israel rescued eight living hostages and recovered dozens of bodies. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the Israeli attack killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, which does not say whether those killed were civilians or combatants. Israel said it has killed about 20,000 militants and provided no evidence.
The war left the ruins of the vast area of Gaza with about 90% of the population. In addition, an Israeli strike killed at least nine people in southwestern Syria, Syria media reported on Thursday. Sanaa said the nine were civilians and did not provide details. British-based war monitoring Syrian human rights observers said they were local gunmen in Dala province and were frustrated by Israel’s military aggression and attacks in recent months.
Israel occupied parts of southwestern Syria and created a buffer there, which it said was to ensure Israel’s security and the security of armed groups. But critics say military operations have created tensions in Syria and prevented any long-term stability and reconstruction of war-torn countries. Israel also attacked five Syrian cities, including more than a dozen strikes near the strategic air base in Hama City.
