Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the military is “switching gears” in Gaza, seizing more territory and tightening control over key areas. Observers believe this could signal a deeper and longer-term Israeli presence in the Strip.

Israel has vowed to escalate its offensive against Hamas until it agrees to new ceasefire terms. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has pledged to seize “large areas” of Gaza. The territory has faced relentless bombardment, with at least 100 people killed in the last 24 hours, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Since Israel resumed military operations on March 18, the death toll has risen to 1,163.

While it’s unclear how much land Israel plans to take or whether permanent annexation is on the table, Netanyahu hinted at further expansion, particularly with the seizure of another strategic strip of land.

“Last night in the Gaza Strip, we switched gears. The IDF is seizing territory, striking terrorists, and destroying infrastructure,” Netanyahu said in a video address Wednesday.”We are now dividing the Strip and increasing the pressure step by step so that they will return our hostages. As long as they don’t, the pressure will keep increasing,” he added.

Netanyahu also announced the military’s seizure of the Morag Corridor, referring to an area near the former Morag settlement between Khan Younis and Rafah. He compared it to the Philadelphi Corridor, a key 14-kilometer strip along Gaza’s border with Egypt, which remains a major sticking point in ceasefire talks. If fully controlled by Israel, the Morag Corridor could become a dividing line between southern Gaza’s major cities.

Gisha, an Israeli human rights group, reports that even before this latest offensive, Israel had already expanded its buffer zone, now covering around 52 square kilometers—17% of Gaza’s total land area.

According to Col. (Res.) Grisha Yakubovich, former head of COGAT’s Civil Department, Israel may now push for the evacuation of Rafah’s population and extend its hold over the southern border. By securing these buffer zones, he argues, Israel is applying pressure on Hamas while strengthening security for its own communities.

More Control
Maj. Gen. (Res.) Eitan Dangot, former Coordinator of Government Activities in the Palestinian Territories (COGAT), believes Israel’s latest military moves could mark the start of dividing Gaza into three controlled sections.

The focus on the Morag Corridor is not just military, Dangot noted but also political. Seizing the area could be a signal to right-wing hardliners in Israel’s government who advocate for resettlement in former Jewish settlements within Gaza.

“When you say ‘Morag’ out loud, it brings back the memory of the disengagement from Gush Katif,” Dangot said, referring to the cluster of Israeli settlements, including Morag, that were dismantled in 2005 under then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s withdrawal plan.

Since October 7, some Israeli settlers and right-wing politicians have been pushing for a return to Gaza, openly calling for the expulsion of Palestinians and the re-establishment of Jewish settlements in the Strip.

A War With No End in Sight
Israel’s renewed military campaign has brought devastation across Gaza since March 18, with Netanyahu vowing to use “increasing military strength” until all hostages are freed.

In one of the latest deadly strikes, at least 31 people were killed and dozens wounded when an Israeli airstrike hit Dar al-Arqam School in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense. The school had been sheltering displaced Palestinians. The Israeli military claimed it was targeting a Hamas “command and control center” in the area but did not confirm if it was the same location.

Meanwhile, hostage negotiations remain deadlocked. Hamas has rejected Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal, which offered a 40-day truce in exchange for 11 hostages—a counter to an earlier Egyptian-mediated deal. According to Israeli authorities, 24 hostages are believed to be alive in Gaza, while the bodies of 35 others are still being held.

Israel has also blocked humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, insisting that Hamas must first agree to a ceasefire extension. Hamas, in turn, has accused Israel of backtracking on commitments made in previous negotiations.

Desperation and Hunger
Since Israel launched its war on Hamas following the group’s October 7 attack, which killed 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 taken hostage, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated rapidly. According to the enclave’s health ministry, more than 50,000 Palestinians have died since the war began.

With a weeks-long blockade cutting off food supplies, hunger has reached critical levels. On Wednesday, desperate civilians broke into a UN warehouse in Gaza’s Al-Tuffah neighborhood, looting bags of flour meant for humanitarian relief.

Hungary to Exit ICC as Orban Hosts Netanyahu
Meanwhile, Hungary has announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), a move revealed on Wednesday as Prime Minister Viktor Orban welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who is currently wanted by the court—to Budapest.

Standing alongside Netanyahu, Orban justified the decision by calling the ICC a “political tool.”

“This very important court has been diminished to a political tool, and Hungary wishes to play no role in it,” Orban declared during a joint press conference.

Netanyahu praised the move, calling it “bold and principled,” and suggesting that Hungary may be the first of many countries to follow suit.

The two leaders delivered brief remarks but did not take any questions from the press.

Netanyahu’s First European Visit Since Arrest Warrant
Netanyahu’s visit to Hungary marks the first time he has set foot on European soil since the ICC issued an arrest warrant against him, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three senior Hamas officials in May 2024.

The court alleges there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Netanyahu is criminally responsible for war crimes, including “starvation as a method of warfare” and “crimes against humanity, murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.”

Netanyahu dismissed the accusations as “absurd and antisemitic.”

“Israel utterly rejects the absurd and false actions and accusations against it by the International Criminal Court, which is a politically biased and discriminatory body,” his office said in response.

As a signatory to the Rome Statute, Hungary is technically obliged to arrest Netanyahu. Instead, Orban’s government gave him a red-carpet welcome at Budapest’s Buda Castle, complete with a formal ceremony at the Lion’s Court.

Hungary, A Lone Voice in Europe?
Hungary’s decision to leave the ICC places it on a collision course with other European Union members. If the withdrawal goes through, Hungary will become the only EU nation not part of the ICC.

Hungary’s State Secretary for International Communication and Relations, Zoltan Kovacs, confirmed that the withdrawal process would begin on Thursday, stating that it would be done “in line with Hungary’s constitutional and international legal obligations.”

The ICC has yet to issue a formal response to Hungary’s decision.

Reactions across the EU remain divided. Ireland and Spain have openly stated they would arrest Netanyahu if he entered their territory. France and Germany, on the other hand, have taken a more cautious stance, questioning whether the ICC has jurisdiction over Israel, since Israel is not a member of the court.

More than 120 countries are signatories to the Rome Statute, but several major powers—including the United States, China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia—are not members.

Netanyahu and the ICC
The ICC’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu is historic, marking the first time the court has targeted the leader of a key U.S. ally. It places Netanyahu in the same category as Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom the ICC has charged over Moscow’s war in Ukraine, and Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was facing ICC charges before his capture and execution in 2011.

Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden have criticized the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant. Under Trump, the U.S. went as far as imposing economic and travel sanctions on ICC officials investigating American citizens and allies.

At the same time, the ICC issued arrest warrants for three top Hamas leaders:

Yahya Sinwar (Hamas leader in Gaza)

Mohammed Deif (Commander of Al-Qassam Brigades)

Ismail Haniyeh (Hamas political chief)

Since then, all three have been killed by Israeli forces during the ongoing war.