Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday that the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip is escalating to “crush” Hamas and seize “large areas.”

Katz stated the operation aims to “crush and clean” the area of terrorists and infrastructure, while expanding Israel’s security zones.

The existing security perimeter along the northern and eastern Gaza border has long served to protect Israeli citizens in nearby communities.

The specific areas targeted for seizure remain unclear. Katz indicated the expanded operation involves “extensive evacuation” of civilians from combat zones.

Katz urged Gaza’s residents to “expel Hamas and return all hostages,” emphasizing that 59 hostages, including 24 believed to be alive, remain captive. Most other hostages were freed in prior agreements.

“This is the only way to end the war,” Katz asserted.

The Hostage Families Forum expressed “horror” at the announcement, stressing the government’s “obligation to free all 59 hostages” through all possible channels, emphasizing the increasing risk to their lives.

The forum highlighted “horrific conditions” of captivity, including being “chained, abused, and in desperate need of medical attention.”

The group’s priority is “an immediate deal to bring ALL hostages back home,” both the living and the dead, and to end the conflict.

The forum also appealed to the Trump administration and other mediators to pressure Hamas for the hostages’ release.

The group reiterated that the immediate priority should be a deal to ensure the return of all hostages, living or deceased, and to bring an end to the war.

Continued Israeli attacks on Gaza included overnight airstrikes in , resulting in 17 deaths, according to hospital officials.

Nasser Hospital reported receiving 12 bodies from an airstrike, including five women (one pregnant) and two children. Gaza European Hospital reported five bodies from two separate airstrikes.

The war began on October 7, 2023, with a by Hamas on Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 abductions.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has reportedly killed over 50,000 Palestinians, including many in recent airstrikes, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel claims to have killed around 20,000 terrorists, without providing evidence.