Click to see full-size image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said on April 16 that while it was continuing to expand its operations in the Gaza Strip, it was holding off from launching a major offensive to facilitate talks with the Hamas Movement on the remaining Israeli hostages in the Palestinian enclave.
At least 1,652 Palestinians have been killed since the IDF renewed its operations in Gaza on March 18, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that was brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar last January.
A major offensive in Gaza would also endanger the remaining 59 hostages still held by Hamas, 24 of whom are reported to be still alive.
In a statement, the IDF said that an offensive intended to defeat Hamas on the battlefield would likely cause the ceasefire-hostage talks to completely collapse.
The military added that current operations against Hamas were intended to continue pressure on the group, while also preparing the ground for a potential major offensive. It also noted that just three of its divisions are operating in the Strip, slowly, both to ensure the safety of troops and guarantee that hostage talks can go on.
In addition, the IDF expected that as long as the operation goes on, and more territory is captured, Israeli troops would encounter more “friction” with Hamas fighters, who are currently being pushed back and largely not engaging Israeli forces.
40 senior Hamas political officials and mid-level military wing commanders were among at least 350 members of the group to have been killed since the renewal of operations in the Strip, according to the military, which also revealed that 1,200 targets have been struck during that time.
The IDF has also significantly expanded its buffer zones along the border of Gaza, capturing some 30% of the Strip’s territory.
In southern Gaza, the military has been working to establish the Morag Corridor, cutting off the area of Rafah, on the Egyptian border, from the city of Khan Younis. Once completed, the buffer zone will stretch from the border to the outskirts of Khan Younis, more than five kilometers away, and include the entire city of Rafah within it.
The buffer zone elsewhere on the border with Gaza has also been expanded from several hundred meters to around two kilometers in most areas. Work to capture more areas in Gaza City’s eastern neighborhoods of Shejaiya, Daraj, and Tuffah in the northern part of the Strip is still underway.
Half of the Netzarim Corridor, just south of Gaza City, was also recaptured by the IDF, up to the Salah a-Din road. At any point, the IDF says it can recapture the western half of the corridor and split the Strip in half again.
Earlier, Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized that Israel had ramped up military pressure on Hamas to agree to a deal “within the Witkoff framework,” referring to the proposal of United States President Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff.
“The pressure on Hamas to reach a deal is heavy, and the tension between it and the local population is increasing,” the minister said, noting that Egypt had for the first time set “the disarming of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza” as a condition for a deal.
“Hundreds of thousands of residents have been evacuated and tens of percent of the territory have been added to the security zones,” he added, referring to Israel’s expanding buffer zone on the Gaza border.
All in all, Hamas finds itself today in a critical position where making hard concessions may be the only way to save the lives of the remaining Palestinians in Gaza who were exhausted by Israel’s brutal war. It is unclear however if the group will continue to exist in its current form after agreeing to the demands set by Israel.
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not understandable how weak or better say nearly not existing the hamas resistance is in such perfect urban warfare conditions, estimating 30.000 armed hamas fighters before war and still thousands alive.
main reason could be the supply blockade also from the zio-us arselickers and traitors in aegypt and jordan.
israel is struggling with an area the size of a backyard swimming pool after all these years. just give it up, this is not the 1967 army. its the army of faggots and tik tokers
these news presented by southfront in gaza are presented in bbc, sky news, msnbc, cnn, fox, etc. all day long, since the day one.
but they seem to have an air force with american made planes that can bomb the frig out of a lot places.
they love to bomb when there is no anti air threats. its what cowards and bullies do
i heard hamas blew up three idf tanks yesterday. if it’s true, why south front doesn’t report on this stuff is beyond me.
but, as i remember even before the ceasefire break south front wouldn’t report on idf losses til israel confirmed them. though, they said hamas was fighting tough back then. we’ll have to see more evidence to learn the truth.
i can’t believe my comment needed approval and apparently it didn’t get approved.
a major offensive against what?
this could read israel illegally captures 30 % of the egyptian gaza strip per un security council resolution 242 to conduct genocide on all palestinian people
40 senior hamas political officials and mid-level military wing commanders were among at least 350 members of the group to have been killed since the renewal of operations in the strip?
how can be possible that hamas members are killed en masse while not engaging idf as well? the same applies to hezbollah. what is happening that we do not know?
professor norman finkelstein calls it what it is: the final genocide solution being carried out against the people of palestine. there is no end to this satanic slaughter of the innocents by the cabal.