Israel expands the Gaza attack, while Hamas launches Ructas in Tel Aviv

The Israeli army expanded its terrestrial operations across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, when Hamas fired rockets in central Israel for the first time, while it seemed increasingly like the slide towards a comprehensive war.

The army said that the Israeli soldiers began raiding part of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, as well as near Beit Lahia in the north of the pocket. These moves came a day after Israel announced that it had regained part of the Netzarim corridor, which drinks Gaza in central Gaza, after withdrawing from the region as part of the ceasefire in January with Hamas.

There were no reports of losses from Hamas missiles, which were launched in the coastal city of Tel Aviv. The Israeli army said that the three missiles were either intercepted or landed in the open areas.

The escalation in hostilities came after a two -month collapse in Gaza this week A fatal Israeli air strike In the region, who said the army targeted Hamas. Israel has argued that the armistice could not continue unless Hamas issued more hostages in Gaza, while Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement.

However, the possible end game of this round of fighting remained out of clear. Israel and Hamas have apparently incompatible conditions for the following steps in the ceasefire, and the renewed Israeli attack was not forced Hamas to accept its demands.

Hasam Badran, a senior Hamas official, said in an interview on Thursday that the group was not ready to disarm its military wing – the main Israeli prejudice to end the war.

Mr. Badran from Doha, Qatar, said: “If you do so, then you give the occupation an opportunity to kill without any Palestinian response.”

He added that Hamas had been late to launch the missiles until Thursday in an attempt to give mediators more time to pressure Israel to stop its attacks. But with Israel continued its attack and the death toll in Gaza increased, he said: “Hamas had to give indications that he could respond.”

The Ministry of Health in Ghazan said on Thursday that the renewed Israeli attack has killed more than 500 people in Gaza during the past three days, including dozens of children. The numbers do not distinguish between civilians and fighters.

The United States, which was seeking to mediate a cease -fire extension between Israel and Hamas, led its weight behind the Israeli attack. Caroline Levitte, a White House spokeswoman, told reporters on Thursday that President Trump “completely supports Israel” and “the measures they have taken in recent days.”

After the Hamas missile attack, the Israeli army warned the Palestinians in Beni Sohaila, in southern Gaza, to escape, saying that the gunmen were shooting from the area. Avichay Adrae, Israeli military spokesman, The name It is an “advanced final warning” before an Israeli attack.

Hamas said that five senior Gaza leadership members were among the hundreds of people who were killed in Israeli strikes on Tuesday. The Israeli army said on Thursday that it had killed at least two Hamas security officials.

In Gaza, the escalating conflict prompted panic and fear among the Palestinians, who were hoping to have a longer rest period of violence. Many said they have not seen little hope to solve the crisis soon.

Abdulkarim Al -Harzin, 28, a doctor in Gaza City, said that the truce gave the Palestinians a few weeks to recover from a year of hunger and deprivation: the border crossings and the flow of aid were reopened. Whatever the remainder of the food is sold at high prices in the sky, “it is accessible to many of those who lost everything in the war.

He accused Israel of breaking the ceasefire. But he also said that Hamas leaders must hand over dozens of Israeli hostages and foreigners who are still detained in Gaza to spare the Palestinians more Israeli attacks.

“Everyone is exhausted.” “How long will we have to live like this?”

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, pledged to increase the pressure on Hamas in order for the group to require and launch more hostages. It is believed that about 24 Israeli and foreign prisoners – as well as the remains of more than 30 others – in Gaza, according to Israel.

Hamas officials say their demands to release the rest of the prisoners are still unchanged, including an agreement to end the war, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. And the release of more Palestinian prisoners.

The 15 -month war in Gaza was killed more than 48,000 in the region, including thousands of children, according to the Ministry of Health in Ghazan. Hamas started from the conflict by carrying out a sudden attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and saw about 250 people hostage to Gaza.

The ceasefire occurred in January, when he got an initial truce of a six -week period, while the mediators sought to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas on a comprehensive truce. But it started in early March without a broader agreement.

Almost immediately, Israel prevented humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, including food and medicine, in a clear effort to pressure Hamas in negotiations to liberate more hostages. Later, the Israeli government cut the electricity it provided to the desalination factory.

The mediators like the United States were trying to reach an agreement to extend the armistice, including a permanent end of war and the release of the remaining living hostages. Steve Whittov, Mr. Trump’s envoy in the Middle East, made a proposal that would extend the initial ceasefire in exchange for more prisoners.

Mr. Badran, Hamas official, suggested that the group was ready to show some flexibility in such a deal for jumping talks aimed at ending the war. In the past, Hamas only spoke about the launch of one living and four Israeli hostages in such an agreement, making more than 50 others still in Gaza.

Mr. Badran said: “The problem is not the numbers.” “We behave positively with any proposal that leads to the start of negotiations” on a permanent truce.

But Israel was not ready to end the war as long as Hamas still controls Gaza. Hamas refuses to dissolve its armed battalions or send its leaders to exile.

The members of the IDF Affairs and Defense Committee – who are receiving secret intelligence – said in a delay letter Hamas still has more than 25,000 fighters.

Hamas’s allies in Yemen also resumed Iranian -backed Houthi militias, the shooting missiles in the Israeli region, which led to the launch of air warning sirens across the central and southern parts of the country at least three times during the past two days.

The Houthis fired rockets and drones in Israel for more than a year in solidarity with the militants in Gaza, only yearning when the ceasefire entered January.

Over the course of last week, US warplanes carried out large -scale attacks in Yemen against the Houthis, while US officials announced it was an attempt to prevent the group from targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea.

On Wednesday, Mr. Trump said that the Houthis “will be completely informed”, and warned Iran against stopping the support of the militants. Israel and the Biden administration have repeatedly bombed the Houthis without successfully deterring them.

Sheikh Ahmed Al -Gharrafand Efratar Livni and Mira Novik The reports contributed.