Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said these 'areas' would be 'incorporated into Israeli security zones,' without saying how much territory Israel would take.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Wednesday, April 2, a major expansion of a military operation in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, saying the army would seize “large areas” of the Palestinian territory.

The defense chief said in a statement that Israel would expand its presence in Gaza to “destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure.” The expanded operation would “seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones,” he said, without saying how much territory Israel would take. The announcement comes after he warned last week the military would soon “operate with full force” in additional parts of Hamas-run Gaza.

In February, Katz announced plans to set up an agency for the “voluntary departure” of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. That came after Israel expressed a commitment to a proposal from US President Donald Trump to take over the territory after relocating its 2.4 million Palestinian inhabitants.