A two-month cease-fire in Gaza collapsed this week amid a renewed Israeli bombardment. The fighting now looks as if it is sliding back to full-scale war.
The Israeli military expanded its ground operations across the Gaza Strip on Thursday as Hamas fired rockets at central Israel for the first time in months, in what looked increasingly like a slide back toward full-scale war.
Israeli soldiers began raiding part of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, the military said, as well as near Beit Lahiya in the north of the enclave. Those moves came a day after Israel announced it had recaptured part of the Netzarim corridor, which bisects central Gaza, after withdrawing from the area as part of the January cease-fire with Hamas.
There were no reports of casualties from the Hamas rockets, which were fired at the coastal city of Tel Aviv. The Israeli military said the three rockets were either intercepted or fell in open areas.
The escalation in hostilities came after a two-month cease-fire in Gaza collapsed this week with a deadly Israeli aerial bombardment in the territory, which the military said had targeted Hamas. Israel argued that the truce could not continue unless Hamas released more hostages still held in Gaza, while Hamas accused Israel of violating the cease-fire agreement.
The potential endgame for this round of fighting, however, remained far from clear. Israel and Hamas have set seemingly incompatible conditions for the next steps in the cease-fire, and the renewed Israeli assault had yet to force Hamas to accept its demands.
Husam Badran, a senior Hamas official, said in an interview on Thursday that the group was unwilling to disarm its military wing — a key Israeli precondition for ending the war.
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Outposts with
Israeli military presence
prior to Israel’s attacks
on Tuesday
Gaza
City
Netzarim corridor
Area of destruction
before cease-fire
Detail
Gaza Strip
Israel
Khan
Younis
Rafah
5 miles
egypt
New vehicle tracks since Tuesday
1.5 miles
March 19
Israeli outposts
March 18
March 18
Outposts with
Israeli military presence
prior to Israel’s attacks
on Tuesday
Gaza
City
New vehicle
tracks since
Tuesday
Netzarim corridor
Detail
Area of destruction
before cease-fire
1.5 miles
Gaza Strip
Israel
Khan
Younis
March 19
Israeli outposts
Rafah
egypt
5 miles
March 18
March 18