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With the collapse of the latest ceasefire in Gaza, a tense atmosphere once again took hold of the enclave, where airstrikes resumed, and ground troops advanced into a strategic corridor.

Yesterday, Wednesday, Israel announced that its forces had regained part of the “Netzarim” corridor, which runs through the Gaza Strip (separating the north from the center and the south), and its Defense Minister warned that attacks would intensify until Hamas releases dozens of hostages and relinquishes control of the Gaza Strip.

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The military explained that its “limited ground operation” in Gaza would create “a partial buffer zone between the north and south of Gaza.”

Today, Thursday, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated on “X” that Israeli forces had launched in recent hours a “targeted ground operation in the central and southern Gaza Strip to expand the defensive area between the north and south of the sector.”

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He added, “During the operation, forces spread as far as the center of the Netzarim axis.”

In his post, the military spokesperson warned residents “against moving along the Salah al-Din axis between the north and south of Gaza and vice versa.”

He specified that movement from the north to the south of the sector is now only allowed via the Rashid road (along the sea).

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Return After Withdrawal

The Israeli army had withdrawn from the Netzarim corridor as part of the ceasefire that began on January 19.

The day before yesterday, Tuesday, the ceasefire collapsed with Israeli airstrikes that killed over 400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Observers believe that the military developments, including the return to the Netzarim corridor and the deployment of additional Israeli forces in southern Gaza, “threaten to drag Israel and Hamas into a full-scale war again.”

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The ceasefire had given war-weary Palestinians some relief and allowed for the flow of much-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza. It also led to the release of dozens of hostages who had been held for over 15 months.

Israel had used the Netzarim corridor, which is about 6 kilometers long, as a military zone during the war.

The corridor runs from the Israeli border to the coast, just south of Gaza City, the largest urban area in the sector.

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Israeli Soldier in Tank

Until Israel’s withdrawal from Netzarim in January, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled northern Gaza to the south were prevented from returning for the duration of the war. Many have returned since then.

However, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the military would soon order Palestinians to evacuate the combat zones.

Gallant said the airstrikes on Tuesday “were just the first step” in Israel’s plan to apply more pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages and give up control of Gaza. Until that happens, we will attack “with an intensity you’ve never seen before.”

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Hamas‘s Position

In response to the ground operation, Hamas spokesperson Abd al-Latif al-Qanou stated in a statement that the ground movements in Gaza were a clear sign of Israel’s retreat from the ceasefire and the re-imposition of the “blockade.”

Today, Thursday, the movement revealed that talks were ongoing with mediators to halt Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and pressure Tel Aviv into a ceasefire agreement.

Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the agreement made in January.

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Missile from Yemen

In the early hours of Thursday, the army stated that it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen before it reached Israeli airspace.

Siren alarms were heard and several explosions were reported across various areas in Israel, seemingly the sounds of interceptor missiles.

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The Fate of the Hostages

In Israel, the resumption of airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza has raised concerns about the fate of the hostages held by Hamas.

Thousands of Israelis participated in anti-government protests, with many calling for an agreement to bring the hostages back home.