Israeli cabinet ministers are meeting to vote on whether to intensify military operations in the Gaza Strip, as the army began to call up thousands of reserve soldiers, officials said.
Plans to escalate fighting in Gaza more than 18 months after the war erupted come as a humanitarian crisis in the territory deepens.
As part of its efforts to pressure the militant group Hamas to negotiate on Israel’s terms for a new ceasefire, Israel in early March halted the entry of goods into Gaza, which has plunged the territory of 2.3 million people into what is believed to be the worst humanitarian crisis since the war began.
An eight-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that brought a lull in fighting and freed Israeli hostages collapsed in March. Israel resumed its strikes on Gaza on March 18th and has captured stretches of the coastal enclave.
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Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since the fighting resumed, according to local health officials. At least six Israeli soldiers have been killed.
An Israeli official said the country’s influential security cabinet will meet on Sunday evening to vote on plans to expand the fighting. A military official said the country was calling up thousands of reserve soldiers.
Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in an interview with Israeli Army Radio, said he wanted a “powerful” expansion of the war, but did not disclose details.
“We need to increase the intensity and continue until we achieve total victory. We must win a total victory,” he said.
Also on Sunday, a missile launched by Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen brought air traffic at Israel’s main airport to halt, police said.
The military said a projectile landed in the area of Ben Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv, although it was not immediately clear if it was the missile or an interceptor of the country’s missile defence system.
The Yemen-based Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attack on Sunday via a televised statement from its military spokesman, Yahya Saree.
Saree reiterated a warning to airlines that the Israeli airport was “no longer safe for air travel”.
Israel has faced continued attacks from the Houthi rebels, who on Sunday launched a missile that set off air raid sirens in many parts of the country.
A large plume of smoke could be seen rising near Israel’s airport, according to footage shared by Israeli media. Passengers were heard yelling and scrambling to take cover.
It was not clear whether the fragment had landed inside the area of the airport, but police said they were closing the entrances while they dealt with the scene.
Israel’s paramedic service Magen David Adom said four people were lightly wounded in the attack.
Defence minister Israel Katz vowed retribution for the strike: “Whoever harms us, we will harm them sevenfold.” – AP, additional reporting by Reuters
