An Israeli tank manoeuvres inside Gaza, infront of destroyed buildings, as viewed from the Israel-Gaza border, March 20, 2025. (Credit: Amir Cohen/Reuters)
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Friday that the army is exerting all available pressure on Hamas to release remaining hostages, including evacuating Gazans to the south and implementing U.S. President Donald Trump's resettlement plan.
The defense minister also said that he ordered the military to "seize more ground" in Gaza and warned of partial annexation if Hamas does not release hostages held in the Palestinian territory.
"I ordered (the army) to seize more territory in Gaza... The more Hamas refuses to free the hostages, the more territory it will lose, which will be annexed by Israel," he said in a statement in which he threatened "permanent occupation" of "buffer zones" inside the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Friday that the army is exerting all available pressure on Hamas to release remaining hostages, including evacuating Gazans to the south and implementing U.S. President Donald Trump's resettlement plan.
The defense minister also said that he ordered the military to "seize more ground" in Gaza and warned of partial annexation if Hamas does not release hostages held in the Palestinian territory.
"I ordered (the army) to seize more territory in Gaza... The more Hamas refuses to free the hostages, the more territory it will lose, which will be annexed by Israel," he said in a statement in which he threatened "permanent occupation" of "buffer zones" inside the Gaza Strip.