Israel Regains Control of the Netzarim Corridor as Ground Operations Begin in Gaza

Israel has commenced ground operations in the Gaza Strip a day after an airstrike that resulted in the deaths of at least 400 people. The Israeli army announced on Wednesday, March 20, that it has resumed ground operations in central and southern Gaza and has regained control over parts of the Netzarim Corridor. The Netzarim Corridor is a six-kilometer road in central Gaza that extends from Israel to the Mediterranean Sea, dividing the Gaza Strip into two sections. Israeli forces had retreated from it as part of a ceasefire agreement with the extremist group Hamas in mid-February. Additionally, on Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes continued in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 more Palestinians, according to Reuters. The United Nations reported that one foreign staff member was killed and four workers were injured in one of the Israeli airstrikes targeting a UN facility in central Gaza. In response, Israel denied this claim, stating it targeted a Hamas facility that was preparing for an attack on Israel. However, Jorge Morera da Silva, head of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), stated that the Israeli army was aware that the location was a UN compound where civilians lived and worked. Shortly thereafter, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry announced that preliminary information indicated that a citizen of Bulgaria working for the UN had been killed in Gaza. Following the start of a new round of Israeli attacks after about two months of ceasefire, Benjamin Netanyahu described Tuesday's attacks as 'just the beginning' and stated that Israel would continue until it achieved all its military objectives, including the complete destruction of Hamas and the release of remaining hostages held by the group. Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the US and the EU, has rejected proposals for a 'ceasefire extension' in recent weeks and ignored the US President's warnings regarding the release of hostages. On the other hand, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced on Wednesday that the evacuation of Palestinian civilians from combat zones would begin soon. In a video message, he stated that airstrikes against Hamas forces were 'just the first step' and that if other hostages held by Hamas were not released, subsequent steps would be much harsher. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, 58 are still being held in Gaza. Israel claims that 34 of them have been killed. Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violating the ceasefire. The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which lasted 42 days, ended on March 3, and negotiations in recent days for extending the first phase or reaching an agreement for implementing a second phase have been fruitless. The Gaza war began after Palestinian militants led by Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in an incursion into southern Israel on October 7, 2023. In response, Israel launched military operations across the Gaza Strip, which according to Hamas officials have left over 48,000 dead.