The Israeli military is expanding its zone of influence across significant portions of the Gaza Strip, according to statements from the nation’s prime minister. In related news, Germany reported that several of its nationals have departed Gaza. For further details, visit DIwida.News.|
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the Israeli army is setting up a security zone through the Gaza Strip connecting Rafah and Khan Younis. The purpose of this action, according to him, is to exert pressure on Hamas, the militant organization holding captive several Israeli hostages, with the aim of securing their release.
Netanyahu stated that Israel is "seizing territories, targeting terrorists, and dismantling infrastructure."
Following remarks from Netanyahu's defense minister about seizing substantial portions of Gaza for alleged security purposes, an official statement was released. Concurrently, a series of Israeli attacks resulted in over 40 Palestinian fatalities, with multiple victims being women and children, as reported by Palestinian medical authorities.
Netanyahu's comment came after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the aim of the Israeli forces' operation had shifted to capturing extensive regions that would become part of expanded security zones.
Israel asserts that such a buffer zone is essential for security purposes, whereas Palestinians see it as an attempt at seizing their territory.
These are the most recent updates from Israel, Gaza, and throughout the broader Middle East as of Wednesday, April 2nd:
Netanyahu states that Israel is setting up a new security zone through Gaza.
On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that a security corridor through Gaza will be created.
Netanyahu stated that the IDF had captured the "Morag axis," which separates Rafah from Khan Younis. Times of Israel Morag was also the name of a former Israeli settlement located in the same region.
Netanyahu stated in his remarks that the military is “breaking down the Gaza Strip and incrementally intensifying the pressure with the aim of getting Hamas to release our captives.” He further emphasized that Israel is “seizing control of areas, targeting militants, and demolishing infrastructure.”
The Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, stated that the operation's objectives have shifted to capturing extensive regions which would then become part of the security zones, though he did not offer additional specifics.
Israel has kept a buffer zone near the security fence within Gaza territory and significantly enlarged it since the conflict with Hamas started in 2023 after Hamas carried out terrorist assaults in southern Israel.
Israel maintains that the buffer zone is essential for security purposes, whereas Palestinians see it as an act of seizing their territory.
Germany demands investigation following death of eight Red Crescent medical personnel.
Germany's Foreign Ministry demanded an inquiry following an Israeli attack on March 23 that resulted in the deaths of 15 individuals, including eight emergency medical technicians.
"As stated by a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry to Deutsche Presse-Agentur in Berlin, we feel that a thorough inquiry into these incidents is essential," reported the German news agency dpa.
The spokesperson characterized the event in the southern Gazan town of Rafah as "disturbing" and emphasized that medical staff and aid workers must never be attacked.
"The German Foreign Ministry stated previously in an X post, 'Humanitarian workers and medical personnel put themselves at risk to assist others. They should not be targets,'#" they emphasized.
A staff member of the United Nations was also slain during the Israeli attack.
The Israeli military stated that multiple vehicles were targeted after moving towards their positions in an alarming way.
Israeli minister’s visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque compound sparks angry response
Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem’s Old City, prompting anger and strong reactions from the global community.
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinian militant organization Hamas denounced the visit to the sacred location.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque forms part of Haram al-Sharif, also referred to as the Noble Sanctuary, and holds significance as the third holiest mosque in Islam. For those practicing Judaism, this location is recognized as the Temple Mount and stands as the most sacred place for them.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry denounced the Israeli minister's visit on Wednesday, describing it as a "raid" and "a provocative act that cannot be accepted."
Hamas described it as a "provocative and dangerous escalation," stating that the visit was "a part of the continuous genocidal actions against our Palestinian people."
The Saudi foreign ministry showed its strongest disapproval of Ben Gvir's visit to the compound.
The AFP news agency reported that according to Ben Gvir's spokesman, the minister visited the site because it had been accessible to non-Muslims only after a period of 13 days, when it was open exclusively to Muslims for the Eid al-Fitr celebration marking the conclusion of Ramadan.
Israeli airstrikes kill 17, Gaza officials say
Hospital officials in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip say Israeli airstrikes in the southern city of Khan Younis have killed 17 people overnight.
The bodies of 12 people killed in an overnight airstrike were brought to Nasser Hospital, officials said on Wednesday. The victims included five women, one of them pregnant, and two children.
Officials said three men from the same family were killed, as were the owners of the bombed house.
Gaza European Hospital received the bodies of five people who were killed in two separate airstrikes, officials there said.
Germany reports that citizens have departed from Gaza.
The German Foreign Office says 19 German citizens have been able to leave Gaza with close family members after talks with Israeli officials.
"Since the beginning of the fighting in Gaza, the German government has repeatedly and intensively advocated for the departure and safety of German citizens," the Foreign Office told DIwida.News |.
Today, in tight cooperation with Israeli officials, an additional 19 German nationals along with their immediate families managed to depart from Gaza.
"They used the Kerem Shalom border crossing. They continued their journey by charter flight via an airport in southern Israel directly to Germany."
Extensive areas of Gaza have been reduced to rubble due to the conflict that began on October 7, 2023, after the Hamas-backed militant assault on Israel resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths, largely among civilian populations.
Israel's counter-attack in Gaza has resulted in over 50,000 Palestinian casualties, as reported by the Health Ministry of the territory governed by Hamas.
The ministry makes no distinction between civilians and combatants, yet both the UN and several humanitarian groups regard the casualty figures as largely accurate.
Israel declares escalation of Gaza operation.
Israel's Defense Minister, Israel Katz, has declared an extensive escalation of military activities in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas. Even though UN representatives have cautioned about an ongoing campaign aimed at ethnically cleansing Palestinians.
Katz stated that the military would assume control over extensive regions within the Palestinian territories.
He stated that Israel would increase its footprint in Gaza with the aim of "eradicating and cleansing the region of terrorists and their supporting structures."
The expanded operation would "seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones," Katz said, without saying how much territory Israel planned to take.
Katz said the army was "expanding to crush and clean the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure and capture large areas that will be added to the security zones of the State of Israel."
He urged Gaza residents to "expel Hamas and return all hostages."
"This is the only way to end the war," Katz said.
Hamas continues to hold 59 hostages, with approximately 24 believed to be still alive. The majority of the others have been released through various ceasefires or negotiated settlements.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forums condemned Katz’s choice to broaden Israel's activities in Gaza, questioning whether this move signifies an intention to abandon the hostages in pursuit of “land acquisitions.”
Earlier, Katz announced plans in February to establish an agency that would deal with the "voluntary departure" of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
Israel has expressed its support for a proposal from US President Donald Trump to take over Gaza, which had a pre-war population of 2.4 million, after removing its Palestinian inhabitants.
Forced displacement is a crime under international law, and senior UN officials have said the plan amounts to ethnic cleansing. Human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have deemed Israel to be committing genocide in Gaza, an accusation the Israeli government has rejected.
Welcome to our coverage
Welcome to DIwida.News |'s latest updates on the circumstances in Gaza and across the broader Middle East region.
Israel's Defense Minister, Israel Katz, has approved a significant escalation of military activities in Hamas-controlled Gaza, extending its land missions.
He stated that the forces would include these regions within "Israel's security zones."