Israel’s defense minister says the country's military operation in the Gaza Strip is expanding to seize “large areas” of the Palestinian territory.

Israel's renewed military operation in Gaza "is expanding to crush and cleanse the area of ​​terrorists," Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Wednesday.

Israel Katz warned that “large areas” of the enclave would be seized and added to security zones controlled by the military.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a major expansion of the military’s operation in Gaza involving the seizure of large areas of land that would be “incorporated into Israel’s security zones.

The expanded Gaza offensive would see Israel's military "crush and clean the area" of militants, the defense minister said.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a major expansion of the military operation in Gaza on Wednesday and said large areas of the enclave would be seized and added to the security zones of Israel.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a major expansion of the military operation in Gaza on Wednesday, saying large areas of the enclave would be seized and added to the security zones of Israel.

Gazans were seen fleeing Rafah on Monday after the Israeli military issued a wide evacuation order for the southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says the military will expand its operation in Gaza and seize "large areas" of the territory. In a statement on Wednesday, Katz said the expanded operation aimed to "destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure".

The bodies of more than a dozen aid workers have been recovered in southern Gaza from what a United Nations agency described as a “mass grave,” a week after they went missing following attacks by Israeli forces.

An Israeli airstrike killed four people in Beirut early Tuesday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said, rocking an already shaky ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher said in a post on X that the bodies were buried near "wrecked & well-marked vehicles."