“These areas go to the state of Israel”

Israel no longer makes a secret of its plans: the government wants to permanently bring larger areas of the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in a new offensive.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, had announced great things a few days ago before the parliament – from the Israeli perspective. New, heavy air raids in the Gaza Strip had already started: “We will change the face of the Middle East. The fighting is continued in the Gaza Strip, and the more Hamas holds on to their refusal to leave our hostages, our pressure becomes larger and stronger,” says Netanyahu. “This also includes taking areas and other things that I will not do here.”

It is now clear that Israel has large parts in the south of the Gaza Strip. For example, Palestinians were driven out of the city of Rafah, in the far south on the border with Egypt. Since the offensive started with severe air raids about two weeks ago, more than 1,000 people have been killed according to Palestinian information, including numerous women and minors.

“Areas no longer belong to the Palestinians”

The former General Yiftach Ron-Valley explained the plan behind it in the Israeli army radio: “We extend it. This means that we are expanding the so-called security zones from now on. Until further notice, these areas no longer belong to the Palestinians or Hamas, but go to the state of Israel.” It is about the expansion of the Philadelphi corridor, urban area of ​​Rafah and also parts in the west. “This is very important and of course also refers to the northern part of the Gaza Strip.”

Israel not only plans to permanently control larger areas in the Gaza Strip. Above all, it is also about pressure on Hamas and the population. Defense Minister Israel Katz had spoken of areas that “should be associated with the security zones of the state of Israel”. “Residents of Gaza who jeopardizes Hamas your life, ensures that you lose your houses and that more and more areas are incorporated into Israel's defense structure,” said the minister. “Requests Hamas in Gaza and the immediate release of all Israeli hostages. This is the only way to end the war.”

Hardly any protests against Hamas left

In fact, there had been the first protests against Hamas in the Gaza Strip a few days ago, in which thousands had participated. In the meantime, they have been subsided – some of them were suppressed by Hamas. Recordings are circulating on the Internet that are supposed to show the execution of a police officer through members of a clan in Deir El Balah. He is said to have tried to dissolve a mass casserole of people who were looking for flour. “Now Hamas should help you!”, His murderers shouted.

The blockage of relief goods also includes the pressure of Israel on the people in the Gaza Strip. For more than four weeks, there has been no food, no water, no fuel and no medical material in the area destroyed.

Also killed many women and children

In the meantime, the heavy air strikes continue: at least 12 people, including women and children, died in the morning of Palestinian information.

Rida Al Jabbour, a Palestinian on the run into Chan Yunis, showed a team of Reuters the corpses – or parts of them. Among the dead: a woman and her little children. “She hugged her children. What misfortune,” she says. “She wanted to flee and had two girls. She born one in front of Ramadan.” So it was only a few weeks old.

And Israel wants to expand the air raids and advance – in the south and also in the north of the Gaza Strip. For this purpose, many other ground troops were ordered to the area.