Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a major expansion of the military’s operation in Gaza involving the seizure of large areas of land that would be “incorporated into Israel’s security zones.”
The operation would also involve a “large-scale evacuation of Gaza’s population from combat zones,” the statement said without specifying details.
Katz said the military operation would expand to “crush and clear the area of terrorists and terror infrastructure, while seizing large areas that will be incorporated into Israel’s security zone.”
The Israeli military’s spokesperson for Arabic media late on Tuesday ordered residents in Gaza’s southern Rafah area to leave their homes and move north.
Katz’s statement on Wednesday did not specify whether additional Israeli troops would be involved in the expanded operation.
This is a developing story and will be updated.