Israel orders army to seize more land in Gaza

Shafaq News/ On Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz revealed he had ordered the army to seize more territory in the Gaza Strip and expand security zones.

Katz said the move "was aimed at protecting Israeli settlements and military personnel," warning that “as long as Hamas continues to refuse to release the hostages, it will lose more and more territory, which will be annexed to Israel.”

He reiterated Israel’s support for a proposal by US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, which calls for the release of all hostages in two phases, with a ceasefire separating the stages.

The remarks come amid mounting pressure within Israel for the annexation of parts of Gaza in response to stalled negotiations with Hamas and the reported deaths of hostages.

Earlier, France condemned the directive during a press conference in Dijon, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stating, “France opposes any form of annexation, whether it concerns the West Bank or Gaza.”