Israel announced on Wednesday a “limited ground operation” in northern Gaza aimed at reclaiming part of a corridor that crosses the territory. Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that the military would intensify attacks, which broke a two-month ceasefire, with “unprecedented force.”
Israeli forces reported having regained a section of the Netzarim corridor, which divides Gaza from north to south and from which they had withdrawn as part of the ceasefire with Hamas that began in January. Katz urged Palestinians to prepare for new evacuations in combat zones and warned that attacks against Hamas would become even more aggressive if the hostages, held for more than 17 months, were not released.
As Israel continued its airstrikes, the UN reported that one of its staff members was killed and five others were injured in an attack on a UN guesthouse in Gaza. Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), declined to identify those responsible for the attack in Deir al-Balah but stated that the explosive was “launched or fired” and that the explosion was neither accidental nor related to demining activities. The nationalities of the victims were not disclosed.
The Israeli military denied attacking the UN complex, though Moreira da Silva stated that the area was hit on Monday, directly attacked on Tuesday, and struck again on Wednesday when the UN worker was killed. According to him, the agency had previously informed the Israeli military of the location of the facility. “Israel knew this was a UN compound, that people were living, staying, and working there,” he emphasized.
After the attack, the injured were taken to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. Witnesses described emergency scenes, with wounded individuals being carried in blankets and UN vests scattered on hospital beds.
Since the start of the Israeli attacks on Tuesday morning, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported at least 436 deaths, including 183 children and 94 women, along with 678 injuries. Israel insists that its attacks target only combatants and holds Hamas responsible for civilian casualties, arguing that it operates in densely populated areas. The Gaza Ministry of Health’s records do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
The Israeli military stated that as part of its new offensive, it attacked dozens of militants and their hideouts on Wednesday, including a Hamas battalion command center.
The conflict in Gaza, which had paused in January following an internationally mediated ceasefire, has been one of the deadliest for humanitarian workers, according to the UN. The resumption of hostilities threatens to plunge the region back into full-scale war, just weeks after the first phase of the truce ended, during which Israel and Hamas exchanged hostages for prisoners and negotiated a possible extension of the agreement.
However, those negotiations never took off. Hamas demands that Israel adhere to the terms of the initial ceasefire, which includes a full withdrawal from Gaza and a definitive end to the war. Israel, on the other hand, has presented a new proposal that would extend the truce and allow the release of more hostages held by Hamas, without committing to ending the war, maintaining its objective of defeating Hamas.
