Gaza: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the Israeli army is going to expand the ground offensive in Gaza. Katz said in his statement that the attack is being expanded to seize more territory in Gaza. The area being seized is the so-called buffer zone in the Gaza Strip.
Katz told the people of Gaza that the people will be evacuated from these areas and that the only way to end the war is to eliminate Hamas and release the hostages. However, Katz did not specify in his statement how much land is planned to be seized. Israel is currently in its 31st day of blockade on Gaza. This is the longest siege since the war began. The Gaza Health Ministry says 50,399 people have been killed and 114,583 injured in the Israeli offensive.