Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday announced that Israel was setting up a new security corridor across the Gaza Strip named after a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis. Netanyahu said that the military is "dissecting" Gaza and "seizing territory" to retrieve hostages held in the Palestinian territory. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.
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Turkey on Wednesday condemned a visit by Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, saying it would raise regional tensions.
"We condemn the raid by a member of the Israeli government on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound today," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "This action by (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's accomplices is a dangerous decision that will again aggravate tensions in the region."
Gaza health ministry says 1,066 killed since Israel resumed strikes
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Wednesday that 1,066 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory since Israel resumed large-scale strikes on March 18.
According to the ministry's statement, the figure includes 24 people killed in the past 24 hours. It also reported that the overall death toll had reached 50,423 since the war began on October 7, 2023.
Turkey says Israel's expansion of Gaza operation illegal, detached from pursuit of peace
Turkey slammed Israel on Wednesday over its announcement of a major expansion to its military operation in Gaza, saying the move marked a manifestation of what it called Israel's illegal approach detached from the pursuit of peace.
In a statement, Turkey's foreign ministry said statements on expanding operations in Gaza and settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank marked "yet another demonstration of Israel's blatant disregard for international law and its complete detachment from the pursuit of peace".
It called on the international community to take a stance to protect holy sites, prevent provocations and halt Israel's efforts to expand its territory through occupation.
IDF 'seizing territory, striking terrorists and destroying infrastructure', Netanyahu says
Hamas warns those who 'spread chaos' after killing of its police officer
A Gaza family's open admission this week that they killed an officer from the Hamas-run police force after they said a relative was shot dead has added to signs of popular dissent against the militant group after 18 months of war with Israel.
It drew a warning from the Hamas-run interior ministry that actions that undermined public order would not be tolerated, and said that such dissent only "serves Zionist goals".
Netanyahu says Israeli army 'dissecting' Gaza to retrieve hostages
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that the military is "dissecting" Gaza and "seizing territory" to retrieve hostages held in the Palestinian territory.
The military is "dissecting the (Gaza) Strip and increasing the pressure step by step so that (Hamas) will return our hostages", Netanyahu said in a statement.
Netanyahu says Israel is establishing a new security corridor across Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is establishing a new security corridor across Gaza.
In a statement issued Wednesday, he described it as the Morag corridor, using the name of a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, suggesting it would run between the two southern cities.
UN rights council demands Israel 'prevent genocide' in Gaza
The UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday condemned Israel's renewed offensive in Gaza and demanded the country uphold its responsibility to "prevent genocide" in the Palestinian territory.
The United Nations' top rights body overwhelmingly adopted a resolution putting forth a list of demands to Israel, including calling on it to "lift its illegal blockade" on Gaza.
Gaza Health Ministry says 60 killed in Israeli strikes
Gaza's Health Ministry said at least 60 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Wednesday, with 19 people including children killed in a strike at a UN clinic being used to house displaced people.
Israel's military said it had struck a building previously used as a clinic that it said was serving as a Hamas command and
control centre to plan attacks, and that the military had used surveillance to mitigate the risk to civilians. Hamas denied using the building and called the Israeli accusation it did so a "blatant fabrication".
UN says most of Gaza is a ‘no-go’ zone
More than 60% of Gaza is now considered a “no-go” zone because of Israeli evacuation orders, according to Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian aid office.
Hundreds of thousands people are living in squalid tent camps along the coast or in the ruins of their destroyed homes.
Israel 'inching towards return to full-scale war in Gaza'
Israel on Wednesday said it would expand its military operations and seize "large areas" of the Gaza Strip, signalling a possible return to full-scale war.
Families of the hostages have expressed concern at the announcement, with many questioning whether the Israeli government has ordered the sacrifice of their loved ones in exchange more land, reports FRANCE 24 correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky from Jerusalem.
More journalists have died in Gaza since October 7 than in both World Wars combined: Costs of War Project
Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister visit to Al-Aqsa Mosque compound
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday condemned a visit by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, lambasting him for "storming" the area.
Riyadh voiced its "strongest condemnation of the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli national security minister under the protection of occupation police", the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Sirens heard in Southern Israel following "hostile aircraft infiltration from Gaza": IDF
UK says it 'does not support' Israel's expansion of Gaza offensive
Britain does not support Israel's expansion of military operations in Hamas-run Gaza, a UK minister said on Wednesday.
"We are deeply concerned about the resumption of hostilities in Gaza. The UK does not support an expansion of Israel's military operations," junior foreign office minister Hamish Falconer, told parliament.
Watch: Israel says will seize 'large areas' of Gaza as military operation expands
Berlin says evacuated 19 Germans and their relatives from Gaza
Germany said on Wednesday that 19 of its citizens and 14 of their relatives had been evacuated from the Gaza Strip as Israel presses its offensive against Hamas in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer said the evacuation on Tuesday "took considerable time" but Berlin was "very relieved that this succeeded through close cooperation" between German and Israeli officials.
Netanyahu has been given 'free hand' by Trump
Israel announced a major expansion of military operations in Gaza on Wednesday, saying large areas of the enclave would be seized and added to its security zones, accompanied by large-scale evacuations of the population.
It is the latest sign Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been given a “free hand” by US President Donald Trump when it comes to the ongoing war, says FRANCE 24’s Doug Herbert.
