Israel launched a major operation in the Gaza Strip to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages, the Defense Minister said on Saturday.
Defense Minister Katz said the operation of Gideon Chariot was led by the Israeli army.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed earlier this week to escalate the pressure on Hamas with the goal of destroying armed groups that have ruled Gaza for nearly two decades.
The operation ended with U.S. President Donald Trump, who traveled to the region without visiting Israel. There is a widespread hope that Trump's travel could increase the chances of a ceasefire or restore humanitarian aid to Gaza, which Israel has blocked for more than two months.
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas have not yet made progress in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Hamas, who released Israeli-American as a gesture of goodwill before Trump’s trip to the Middle East, insisted on a deal that ended the three-year conflict – Israel disagrees.
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According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 150 people have been killed during the Israeli strike in the past 24 hours. It said nearly 3,000 people have been killed since Israel broke the January ceasefire on March 18.
Among the hostages left in Gaza, Israel believes that as many as 23 people are still alive, although Israeli authorities are concerned about three of them.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 people. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israel's retaliatory offensive killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of whom were women and children, and the ministry did not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
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