Israel has expanded its buffer zone inside the Gaza Strip as part of a broader military campaign aimed at pressuring Hamas into releasing hostages.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that โ€œhundreds of thousands of [Palestinian] residents have already evacuated,โ€ and โ€œtens of percent of Gazaโ€™s territory have become part of Israelโ€™s security areas.โ€

ื‘ืžื”ืœืš ื”ื—ื’ ื”ืฉืœื™ื ืฆื””ืœ ืืช ืชืคื™ืกืช ืฆื™ืจ ืžื•ืจื’, ืฉื—ื•ืฆืฅ ื‘ื™ืŸ ื—ืืŸ ื™ื•ื ืก ืœืจืคื™ื— ื•ืžื‘ืชืจ ืืช ืจืฆื•ืขืช ืขื–ื” ืžืžื–ืจื— ืœืžืขืจื‘ ืœืื•ืจืš 12 ืง”ืž ื•ื”ื•ืคืš ืืช ื”ืžืจื—ื‘ ืฉื‘ื™ืŸ ืฆื™ืจ ืคื™ืœื“ืœืคื™ ืœืžื•ืจื’ ืœื—ืœืง ืžืžืจื—ื‘ ื”ื‘ื™ื˜ื—ื•ืŸ ื”ื™ืฉืจืืœื™.

ื’ื ืฉื˜ื— ื”ืชื•ื—ืžืช ื”ืฆืคื•ื ื™ืช ื‘ืขื–ื” ืžืขืžื™ืง ื•ืžืชืจื—ื‘ ื›ื—ืœืง ืžืื–ื•ืจ ื”ื‘ื™ื˜ื—ื•ืŸ ื•ืžื”ื”ื’ื ื” ืขืœ ื”ื”ืชื™ื™ืฉื‘ื•ืช ื”ื™ืฉืจืืœื™ืช.

ืžืื•ืช ืืœืคื™โ€ฆ

โ€” ื™ืฉืจืืœ ื›โ€ืฅ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) April 13, 2025

โ€œThe main goal is to exert heavy pressure on Hamas for it to return to the framework of a hostage release,โ€ Katz added. โ€œAs long as Hamas persists in its refusal, the IDF activity will intensify.โ€

Over the weekend, the Israel Defense Forces carried out extensive strikes across Gaza, hitting more than 90 targets. These included Hamas command centers, rocket launch sites, weapons storage facilities and armed cells.

In Rafah and along the Morag Corridor, IDF ground forces killed several terrorists and destroyed tunnel shafts and weapons caches. In the Tel al-Sultan and al-Shaboura neighborhoods of Rafah, troops uncovered additional Hamas infrastructure, including underground passageways used for transporting fighters and supplies.

One notable operation in northern Gaza involved Yahalom, the IDFโ€™s special forces engineering unit, which destroyed a 1.2-kilometer tunnel buried 20 meters underground. Nearby, soldiers discovered a weapons depot containing explosives, anti-tank systems and other arms. According to the IDF, a drone later spotted terrorists planting an explosive device near Israeli forces, prompting a precision airstrike that neutralized the threat.

On Sunday, Israeli aircraft also attacked a Hamas command center in Deir al-Balah in the central Strip, which, according to military intelligence, was being used to coordinate attacks. Earlier, the IDF confirmed it had targeted a Hamas facility operating within Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. The military said that โ€œprecautions were taken to minimize civilian harm,โ€ and that residents had been warned in advance of the strike.

In a statement, the IDF said, โ€œThe Hamas terrorist organization systematically violates international law by using civilian infrastructure and exploiting the population as human shields.โ€

At 3:58 p.m. on Sunday, a projectile fired from Gaza was intercepted over nearby Kibbutz Reโ€™im. No injuries were reported.

As Israel marked the start of Passover, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir held a seder with soldiers from the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion at the Mevo Dotan post in northwestern Samaria. The battalion has suffered 27 casualties since Oct. 7. During the gathering, Zamir praised the troopsโ€™ bravery and reaffirmed the armyโ€™s mission.

ื”ืจืžื˜ื›ืดืœ ืœืœื•ื—ืžื™ ืกื™ื™ืจืช ื ื—ืดืœ ื‘ืขืจื‘ ืคืกื—: ืดืœื”ื—ื–ื™ืจ ืืช ื›ืœ ื”ื—ื˜ื•ืคื™ื ื–ื• ืžืฉื™ืžืช ื”ืขืœ ืฉืœื ื•, ื•ื›ืœ ืžื” ืฉืื ื—ื ื• ืขื•ืฉื™ื ื‘ืขื–ื” ื–ื” ื›ื“ื™ ืœืฉื—ืจืจ ืื•ืชื ื•ืœื”ื›ืจื™ืข ืืช ื”ื—ืžืืก. ื–ื”ื• ื™ืขื•ื“ื™ื ื•, ื–ื”ื• ืชืคืงื™ื“ื ื• โ€“ ื—ื™ืจื•ืช!ืด

ืžืคืงื“ื™ ืฆื”ืดืœ ื•ื”ืืœื•ืคื™ื ืฆื™ื™ื ื• ืืช ืขืจื‘ ื—ื’ ื”ืคืกื— ื‘ื™ื—ื™ื“ื•ืช ืฆื”ืดืœ ื‘ื’ื–ืจื•ืช ื”ืฉื•ื ื•ืช.

ื”ืจืžื˜ื›ืดืœ, ืจื‘-ืืœื•ืฃ ืื™ื™ืœ ื–ืžื™ืจ, ืขืจืš ืืชโ€ฆ pic.twitter.com/5QHSd2eODB

โ€” ืฆื‘ื ื”ื”ื’ื ื” ืœื™ืฉืจืืœ (@idfonline) April 13, 2025

โ€œOur freedom is bought with blood,โ€ Zamir said. โ€œEverything we are doing in Gaza is to free the hostages and dismantle Hamas. This is our dutyโ€”freedom.โ€

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