Netanyahu Vows To Increase Pressure on Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened on Wednesday to escalate military action in Gaza if Hamas does not release the remaining hostages. Speaking to the Knesset, Netanyahu warned that the pressure on Gaza would intensify, including through the seizure of Gazan territory.
Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed these remarks in a video urging Gazan residents to continue protests against Hamas. “Hamas is endangering your lives and will lead you to lose your homes and more and more territory,” Katz said, adding that the return of all remaining hostages and the removal of Hamas from power are preconditions for ending the war.
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The threats of heightened pressure on Hamas come amid an increasingly dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. A statement on Wednesday from the UN agency for Palestinians described the conditions in Gaza as harsher than they’ve been since the war broke out.
Agency spokesperson Adnan Abu Hasna warned that anything less than an immediate ceasefire and the influx of humanitarian aid would amount to “a death sentence for the people, infrastructure, and the entire region.”
Israel allowed increased humanitarian aid into Gaza during the recent ceasefire, which lasted from mid-January through early March. After the first phase of the deal officially expired on March 1, Netanyahu announced that Israel would halt the entry of humanitarian aid into the strip. Intense fighting in Gaza resumed on March 18, resulting in hundreds of casualties so far, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
