Israeli troops return to Gaza City, impose blocade

Israeli troops have once again imposed a blockade on the northern capital of Gaza City, less than a day after deploying troops into the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continued their bombardment of Gaza, resulting in the death of 85 Palestinians from Wednesday into Thursday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. This blockade was a common practice prior to the January ceasefire, which collapsed earlier this week.

The IDF has warned residents not to use the main road to travel north into Gaza City. Additionally, they are conducting ground operations in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, where most of the Palestinian deaths over the past 24 hours have occurred.

Hamas responded by launching a handful of rockets into Israel on Thursday, although no casualties were reported. The total death toll in Gaza since Tuesday has risen to 592, according to the health ministry, although this number has not been independently verified.

In addition to the blockade at Gaza City, IDF troops are also deployed to the Netzarim corridor, a key section of Gaza that cuts the strip in half. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue military operations until every hostage is returned from Hamas custody.

“Hamas refused offer after offer to release our hostages. In the past two weeks, Israel did not initiate any military action, in the hope that Hamas would change course. Well, that didn’t happen. While Israel accepted the offer of President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas flatly refused to do so,” Netanyahu said in a video shared on Tuesday. “This is why I authorized the renewal of military action against Hamas.”

Netanyahu emphasized that Israel does not target Palestinian civilians, but rather Hamas terrorists. He stated that when terrorists use civilians as human shields, they are responsible for any unintended casualties.

The situation in Gaza remains tense as both sides continue to engage in military actions. The conflict shows no signs of abating, with both Israel and Hamas standing firm in their positions. The international community is closely monitoring the situation, hoping for a swift resolution to prevent further loss of life and escalation of violence.