Israel May Expand Operations in Gaza Strip

The Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the Jewish state needs to expand its ground operations in the Gaza Strip following the response from Palestinian Hamas to a prisoner exchange proposal, and should reject that offer. This was reported by the Axios portal, citing an Israeli source.

“The response was prepared in a way that Israel would be forced to reject it. Hamas’s position will lead to the continuation of the conflict and the fact that our forces will soon go to more areas in Gaza,” the portal quoted Gallant's words to Blinken.

Previously, Hamas had proposed a three-stage ceasefire plan to Israel. The agreement included a ceasefire, a prisoner exchange, as well as the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Palestinian enclave. Later, it became known that Israeli authorities were examining the conditions of the ceasefire proposed by Hamas.