Israel escalates Gaza assault, threatens to seize more land if Hamas refuses to free hostages

The report quoted Katz saying that he ordered the Israeli Defence Forces to take control of additional territories in the Strip as well as ordered evacuation of Palestinian civilians from under-attack areas. "I ordered (the Army) to take more ground in Gaza. The more Hamas fails to free the hostages, the more ground it will lose, which will be taken over by Israel," media agency quoted Katz.

Gazans were running for their lives again

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Friday that the military was intensifying air, land and naval attacks in Gaza to pressure Hamas to free any remaining hostages and would also resettle civilians south of the enclave.Following two months of comparative silence, Gazans were running for their lives again after Israel basically dropped a ceasefire and launched a new all-out air and land assault on Gaza's governing Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Hamas maintained its stance against the release of the remaining Israeli hostages

Katz said the longer Hamas maintained its stance against the release of the remaining Israeli hostages, the greater the territory it would lose to Israel. He added the military would increase ground, sea and air attacks and expand ground action until the hostages are released and Hamas was finally vanquished. With talks having collapsed to bridge gaps over terms to extend the truce, the Israeli army resumed their assault on Gaza with a wide-ranging bombing campaign on Tuesday before sending troops the following day.