Tel Aviv (Web Desk/Agencies): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday threatened that his country would take control of more territory in Gaza if Hamas refused to release the hostages still being held in the Palestinian enclave, the international media reported.
Israel had ramped up its air strikes and launched ground operations in Gaza the previous week, ending the relative calm that had followed a ceasefire in January.
Since the conflict erupted after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, 251 people were taken hostage, but 58 remain in Gaza, with 34 confirmed dead, according to the Israeli military.
Netanyahu said that if Hamas continued to withhold the hostages, Israel's response would become more forceful.
"The longer Hamas delays releasing our hostages, the more severe the pressure will be," he said.
He also emphasized the possibility of territorial seizures, though he stopped short of detailing other measures that could be taken.
His remarks followed those made by his Defense Minister Israel Katz, who had earlier threatened to annex parts of Gaza if Hamas did not comply.
Katz had instructed the military to increase territorial seizures, warning that with each day Hamas held the hostages, Israel would take more of Gaza.
In Gaza, the health ministry reported a rising death toll, with at least 830 killed since Israel resumed its large-scale military strikes on March 18, 38 of them in the past 24 hours.
These casualties come amid ongoing military action after the ceasefire in January, during which Hamas released 33 Israeli and dual-national hostages, including eight who were already deceased, while Israel freed around 1,800 Palestinian detainees.