Israel plans to reoccupy roughly one-quarter of the Gaza Strip in the coming weeks as part of a renewed military campaign to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages, a senior Israeli official said Monday, according to Axios.
The Israeli military has launched an expanded ground operation in Gaza aimed at reoccupying 25% of the enclave in the next two to three weeks, according to a senior Israeli official who briefed reporters Monday. The move, described as a “maximum pressure” campaign, is intended to coerce Hamas into releasing more hostages.
The expansion follows the collapse of ceasefire talks and marks a significant escalation in the ongoing war, which resumed on March 17. That day, Israel conducted heavy airstrikes across Gaza, reportedly targeting Hamas positions. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 400 Palestinians were killed in the initial bombardment, the majority of them women and children.
Since fighting resumed, at least 1,000 Palestinians have been killed, bringing the death toll to more than 50,000 since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, the ministry said.
The reoccupation is already displacing civilians who had returned to their homes in northern and southern Gaza after a ceasefire in January. If no agreement is reached on a new ceasefire and hostage-release deal, the Israeli ground operation could extend to most of the territory and potentially displace nearly all of Gaza’s estimated 2 million residents into a humanitarian zone.
Some Israeli officials assert the reoccupation is essential for defeating Hamas and advancing the government’s “voluntary departure” plan, which calls for Palestinians to leave Gaza. Others have expressed concern that the move may saddle Israel with long-term control over Gaza and responsibility for its civilian population.
On Monday morning, the Israeli military ordered evacuations in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza that was previously decimated by Israeli operations.
“The IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] is returning to intense operations to dismantle the capabilities of the terrorist organizations in these areas. For your safety, move immediately to the shelters in Al Mawasi,” wrote Col. Avichay Adraee, a military spokesperson, according to Axios.
The senior official also said Israel intends to expand the buffer zone it controls along the Gaza-Israel border.
Ceasefire negotiations have stalled. Over the weekend, Hamas agreed to a proposal via mediators in Qatar and Egypt that closely resembled an earlier offer from White House envoy Steve Witkoff. That deal included the release of five living hostages — among them U.S. citizen Edan Alexander — in exchange for a 40-to-50-day ceasefire.
While Israel previously accepted that proposal, it now demands more. The latest Israeli position calls for the release of 11 living hostages in exchange for a 40-day truce and further requires Hamas to release the remains of 16 hostages on the 10th day of the ceasefire.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.