Tel Aviv, April 2 (NationPress) The Defence Minister of Israel, Israel Katz, declared on Wednesday that the military is broadening its operation against Hamas in Gaza.

He mentioned that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have dispatched extra divisions to the region following extensive overnight bombardments in the southern Gaza Strip, as reported by media outlets.

Katz indicated that troops will advance "to eliminate terrorist elements and infrastructure, and seize significant territory that will enhance Israel's security zones."

"I wish success to the IDF soldiers who are valiantly and powerfully engaging in Gaza for the release of the kidnapped and the defeat of Hamas. The aim of Operation 'Strength and Sword' is primarily to intensify pressure for the release of all hostages amidst Hamas' refusal," the minister posted on X.

"The extension of the operation this morning will escalate the pressure on the Hamas killers and also on the population in Gaza, moving us closer to achieving a sacred and crucial objective for all of us," the post continued.

The IDF had earlier issued an evacuation alert for the entire Rafah area and a vast zone between Rafah and Khan Younis, where the IDF had not previously deployed ground forces.

This announcement followed Katz's statement last week, in which he revealed he had sanctioned operational plans for "continuing" the offensive within the Gaza Strip.

"I visited today to closely monitor the combat and preparations on the ground ahead of forthcoming decisions," Katz remarked during his visit to the Gaza Division, based at Re'im Camp near the strip.

"Our primary objective now is to bring all hostages back home," Katz emphasized.

He cautioned that if Hamas does not free the remaining hostages, "it will incur increasingly severe consequences in terms of territorial losses and the targeting of militants and terror infrastructure, leading to complete defeat."

In the meantime, the Israeli Foreign Ministry asserted on Tuesday that Hamas persists in its push for conflict while simultaneously refusing to release the hostages.

"Hamas continues to advocate for the resumption of war, disregarding our hostages, and refusing to disarm," stated Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister, during a media briefing.

He added that Hamas disregards the will and anger of the people of Gaza, asserting that their interest lies in the "end of the war."

"However, instead of heeding its citizens, Hamas has brutally oppressed them. This week, Hamas executed demonstrators from the Gaza Strip after torturing them," he accused.

Israeli forces resumed attacks in Gaza on March 18, effectively terminating a ceasefire arrangement with Hamas that had begun on January 19.

"We recommenced the offensive because Hamas declined offers to prolong the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement," stated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.