Israel launches 'limited ground operation' to retake part of a key Gaza corridor

The Israeli military said Wednesday it launched a “limited ground operation” to retake part of a key Gaza corridor that bisects northern Gaza from the south.

The move into the Netzarim corridor appeared to deepen the renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza, which has shattered the two-month-long ceasefire with Hamas. The wave of heavy strikes Tuesday killed more than 400 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, nearly two-thirds of them women and children, the Health Ministry said. Its records do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

"Over the past 24 hours, IDF (military) forces have begun targeted ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip to expand the security perimeter and create a partial buffer between the north and south of the Strip," the Israeli army said in a statement, adding that troops had "taken control and expanded their presence up to the central Netzarim Corridor".

Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the ministry’s records department, said Tuesday was the deadliest day in Gaza since the start of the war. The strikes have continued into Wednesday but at a lower intensity.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will press ahead until it achieves all of its war aims — destroying Hamas and freeing all hostages held by the militant group since its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel ignited the war. Hamas has yet to respond militarily.