Israel’s war continues ‘without any goal’, no ‘logic’

Israel’s expansion of its military assault is being done with the intention to “reoccupy Gaza” or at least parts of it, according to Gideon Levy, a columnist at the Israeli news outlet Haaretz.

“Nobody can take seriously the Israeli claim that this [resumption of war] will bring … the release of the hostages. Because we know by now that [military] pressure does not save the hostages,” Levy told Al Jazeera, speaking from Tel Aviv.

“And this is where the families [of the captives] come in, where they say that this is all about political gain for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”

Levy said the war is “horrifying and frightening” with ceasefire talks having not “amounted to anything”, and with no one to stop Israel, given the US’s support.

“We are in a situation of desperation. A war continues without any goal. The bludgeon continues without any purpose. Innocent people are [killed] on a daily basis,” he said.

“And I don’t see an ending. How will it end? Hamas will not give up because they have nothing to lose. And Israel cannot be stopped.”

‘Nothing left for Gazans by the end of this’

Israel’s goal in its war is the complete destruction of Gaza and the forcible displacement of its 2.3 million people, an analyst says.

“Many would say Israel doesn’t have an endgame or objective, but I think as we’ve seen in the last 17 months that’s not necessarily true,” said Tahani Mustafa from the International Crisis Group. “It may not know what the end result will look like, but the goal here is effectively depopulating Gaza.”

She said what will happen going forward is the extension of Israel’s policy since 2007, which is to render Gaza “completely uninhabitable”.

“You’re going to see Gaza completely razed to the ground. For Palestinians who do remain – if they haven’t been forcibly pushed out or killed – they’ll end up in smaller and smaller patches of territory,” Mustafa told Al Jazeera.

The idea that Israel will allow any form of Palestinian governance over the Strip after the war is “incredibly unrealistic”.

“Israeli politicians have made no secret of that. They are quite open in their plans to ensure there is nothing left for Gazans by the end of this.”

Families of Israeli captives ‘horrified’ by renewed assault on Gaza

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has denounced Israel’s expansion of the offensive in Gaza.

In a statement, it said families of the captives remaining in Gaza were “horrified” to wake up to the defence minister’s announcement that the military is stepping up its military operations in the Palestinian enclave in order to seize more territory there.

“Has it been decided to sacrifice the hostages for the sake of ‘territorial gains?’” the group asked.

“Instead of securing the release of the hostages through a deal and ending the war, the Israeli government is sending more soldiers into Gaza to fight in the same areas where battles have already taken place repeatedly,” it added. “The responsibility for the release of the 59 hostages held by Hamas lies with the Israeli government. Our grave concern is that this mission has been pushed to the bottom of its priorities and has become merely a secondary objective.”

Captives’ families: ‘How do you intend to avoid putting them at risk?’

Families of captives held by Hamas have demanded the Israeli government explain how intensifying the attack on Gaza is going to help free their loved ones.

“Instead of releasing the hostages in the agreement and ending the war, the Israeli government is sending more fighters into Gaza, to fight in the same places where they have fought time and time again,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.

Earlier, Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a major expansion of military action, saying the army would seize “large areas” of the Palestinian territory.

The families urged Israeli leaders to explain publicly “how you intend to avoid putting them at risk”. Prime Minister Netanyahu has said military pressure is the best way to get the remaining 59 captives back.

Four killed in US attacks on Yemen’s Hodeidah: Report

The Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV is reporting that US attacks on the province of Hodeidah have killed at least four people. The water management building in the district of al-Mansouriyah was struck, according to the Houthi-backed government.

As we’ve been reporting, the US has been bombarding Yemen daily since March 15 after the Houthis threatened to resume attacks on Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea. The attacks have killed more than 60 people, including women and children.

Houthi Health Ministry says 61 civilians killed in US attacks

The Ministry of Health in Sanaa says US strikes have killed 61 civilians and injured 139 others since March 15. The US military has been carrying out near-daily attacks in Yemen as Trump promised to “completely annihilate” the Houthis.

The Yemeni group said it will continue its military operations against Israel and shipping lanes in the Red Sea until Israel ends its assault on Gaza, which UN experts have described as a genocide.

Egypt condemns Ben-Gvir’s incursion at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound

Egypt says far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s latest entry into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is a “provocative action” that is fully rejected.

Ben-Gvir’s move while being accompanied by armed police is a dangerous escalation “that could worsen the already deteriorating situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, with catastrophic impacts on regional security and stability”, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Successive Israeli escalations are undermining efforts towards the two-state solution, it said, emphasising Israel’s attempts “will not change the legal and historical situation” or the fact that occupied East Jerusalem remains part of Palestinian territory under international law.

لحظة اقتحام الوزير المتطرف إيتمار بن غفير باحات المسجد الأقصى، بحماية شرطة الاحتلال صباح اليوم . pic.twitter.com/71BKxOjBKU

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) April 2, 2025

‘Let them eat rockets’: US elects anti-Palestinian Republican to Congress

Trump-backed Florida State Senator Randy Fine – who has a history of Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian statements – has won a special election for a US House seat.

Here are some of the things he said over the years:

Defence Minister Michel Menassa has told foreign dignitaries he hosted today that Israel is escalating its attacks against Lebanon, the National News Agency reports

“The countries sponsoring the ceasefire agreement must stop the Israeli enemy’s violations and aggressions against Lebanese sovereignty,” Menassa was quoted as saying by the agency.

Israel has been carrying out near-daily attacks in Lebanon, and last month, it bombed Beirut twice despite the ceasefire it reached with Hezbollah last year, which was sponsored by France and the US.

The Israeli military also continues to occupy parts of south Lebanon in violation of the truce deal.

Israeli military says it is ‘expanding’ Gaza operation

Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir says the Israeli army is “expanding” its attacks in Gaza without providing further details.

“The only thing that can stop us from continuing to advance is the release of our hostages,” Zamir said in a statement.

All Israeli captives in Gaza would have been released in the second stage of the ceasefire agreement, but Israel unilaterally broke the ceasefire and resumed the war after the end of the first phase.

Israel’s ‘Morag’ announcement part of ‘maximum pressure’ policy

The so-called Morag corridor is basically a line that has been drawn between Rafah and Khan Younis to the north of it. This is an area of the Gaza Strip that Israel now completely controls, and has not allowed Palestinian civilians in.

It dissects the Gaza Strip from the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) commercial crossing, dashing any hope that humanitarian assistance could soon be allowed back after an entire month of blockade.

This is quite a dramatic announcement, but it does follow a similar one from the Israeli minister of defence, who said that Israel’s goal from this expanded military assault on Gaza would be to claim more Palestinian territory in order to exact maximum pressure – not just on Hamas, but on the population in Gaza.

Israeli ceasefire counter-offer insisted on Hamas disarmament: Sources

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic have seen a copy of a ceasefire deal proposed by mediating countries at the end of March.

Sources told Al Jazeera Arabic that Hamas had agreed to the deal, but that Israel had rejected it and instead proposed a counter-offer.

The proposal called for Hamas to release five captives, including the Israeli-American Edan Alexander, within 50 days, in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners, including 150 serving life sentences, as well as 2,000 detainees from Gaza.

The proposal also would have seen immediate negotiations on a permanent ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.

However, the Israeli counter-offer proposed that Alexander be released before the beginning of the agreement as a goodwill gesture, with no Palestinians released in return. Israel also requested that 10 captives be released on the first day of a 40-day truce, in exchange for 120 Palestinians sentenced to life, and 1,111 Palestinian detainees from Gaza.

Israel also refused to withdraw from Gaza and insisted on Hamas’s disarmament as a condition for negotiations.

Al Jazeera Arabic’s Tamer Mishal said that the Israeli counter-offer appeared to be an attempt by Israel to incite internal strife in Gaza and anger towards Hamas.

Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed 77 Palestinians since dawn on Wednesday, medical sources tell Al Jazeera.

UN secretary-general ‘shocked’ by Israeli killing of 15 medics, aid workers

The UN had said on Monday that Israel was responsible for the killing of the medics and aid workers, who were then buried along with ambulances in a mass grave.

“Medical personnel and humanitarian and emergency workers must be protected by all parties to the conflict at all times, as required by international law,” the office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement.

Commenting on Israel’s announcement that it will seize more land in Gaza, a spokesperson for Guterres said: “The Secretary-General also reminds that the Security Council resolution 2735 (2024) rejects any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip, including any actions that reduce the territory of Gaza. In this regard, he is increasingly concerned about inflammatory rhetoric.”

UN Human Rights Council adopts resolution on accountability in occupied territories

The UN Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution on the human rights situation in occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and a commitment to ensuring accountability and justice.

The resolution called for an end to the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory in accordance with the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Germany, Ethiopia, Czechia and North Macedonia voted against the resolution, but 27 nations backed it while 16 others, including France and Japan abstained.

The resolution also affirmed the illegal nature of forced displacement of Palestinians by Israel and arbitrary Israeli policies against Palestinian prisoners.

According to the Wafa news agency, the Palestinian delegation present at the council meeting criticised “double standards and a lack of international will for achieving practical steps to hold the occupation accountable”.

Qatar condemns Israeli attack on UNRWA clinic

The Qatari Foreign Ministry has denounced in the “strongest terms” the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir as well as the bombing of an UNRWA clinic in Jabalia that has killed at least 22 Palestinians.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that the repeated attempts to undermine the religious and historical status of Al-Aqsa Mosque are not only an assault on the Palestinians, but also on millions of Muslims worldwide,” it said in a statement.

Al-Aqsa is Islam’s third-holiest site.

Statement | Qatar strongly condemns the Israeli National Security Minister's storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the occupation's shelling of an UNRWA clinic#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/9i6f4HiyJo

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) April 2, 2025

Israeli strike targets Damascus

Syria’s Alekhbaria TV reports that an Israeli air raid has targeted a science research building in the Barzeh neighbourhood of Damascus.

More Israeli strikes in Syria

Syria’s official news agency, SANA, reports that an Israeli strike has targeted the vicinity of the central city of Hama. According to Alekhbaria TV, the attack was near a military airport. The television also reported an Israeli air strike by the T-4 airbase in Homs Governorate.

Israeli military confirms Syria strikes

The Israeli army takes responsibility for the bombardment in Damascus, Hama and the Homs Governorate. It said it attacked “military capabilities remaining” in Hama and the T4 airbase in Homs Governorate as well as “military infrastructure” in Damascus.

Israeli shelling reported in southern Syria

It appears that Israeli attacks on Syria are continuing. Alekhbaria TV, reports that Israeli artillery is targeting the western Deraa countryside in the south of the country. The same outlet said earlier that 18 Israeli strikes had hit a military airport in Hama.


Israeli air strikes in Syria designed to send a message to Turkiye: Report

An Israeli official has told The Jerusalem Post that recent air strikes in Syria are intended to “convey a message” to Turkiye.

“Do not establish a military base in Syria and do not interfere with Israeli activity in the country’s skies,” the official said of the message.

Israel has struck several sites across Syria, as part of a heavy campaign in recent months, since the overthrow of the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad in December. Israel has also expanded the territory it occupies in Syria, and made efforts to bed in its forces.

Turkiye is a close ally of the new Syrian authorities, and tension has increased between Israel and Turkiye in recent months over the attacks in Syria, as well as Israel’s war on Gaza.

Israeli army advances in southern Syria: Local authorities

Authorities in the Deraa governorate say in a post on Telegram that Israel is advancing with military vehicles near the city of Nawa, east of the occupied Golan Heights.

Why has Israel been bombing Syria?

The new Syrian authorities have not expressed any hostility – let alone carried out attacks – against Israel. But since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad, Israel has stepped up its bombardment of Syria.

Israeli troops have also been advancing in southern Syria, beyond the occupied Golan Heights.

Israel has long sought to keep its neighbours weak and vulnerable, so after the fall of al-Assad, it took advantage of the sudden collapse of the Syrian army to bomb Syria’s military capabilities, including air defences, missiles and suspected chemical weapons.

Israeli officials appear to also fear that Turkiye – a NATO member that has been critical of Israeli policies against Palestinians – could gain a security foothold in Syria.

Publicly, the Israeli government has described the transitional Syrian President Ahamed al-Sharaa – a former rebel leader – as a “terrorist”, justifying the attacks by saying that it is responding to threats and looking to protect minorities in southern Syria.

Main events on April 2nd

• Israeli attacks killed at least 77 Palestinians across Gaza on Wednesday, including 22 people in a strike on a clinic run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in Jabalia.
• Israel’s army has also expanded its ground assault on the Strip, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wants to create a new corridor separating Rafah and Khan Younis in the south.
• Netanyahu set off for Hungary late on Wednesday, despite calls for the country’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban to adhere to an International Criminal Court warrant and arrest the Israeli leader.
• Israeli warplanes have bombed several military sites and a research facility in Syria, in what Damascus has decried as “unjustifiable escalation” aiming to threaten stability.
• The US military launched new air strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Wednesday, reportedly killing at least five people.
• An Iranian commander reiterated Tehran will move towards a nuclear bomb if attacked, as Israel held talks with France amid a rare defence cabinet meeting convened by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Syria urges international community to pressure Israel to end ‘aggression’

The Syrian Foreign Ministry calls the wave of Israeli attacks an “unjustifiable escalation” that aims to threaten stability in Syria and prolong the suffering of its people.

“The Syrian Arab Republic calls an international community to take a firm position and pressure Israel to end its aggression and adhere to international law,” the ministry said in a statement.

At least 1 dead as US military renews strikes on Yemen

As we previously reported, the US military has carried out several strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen over recent hours, reportedly killing at least five people.

Now, Houthi-affiliated news outlet Al Masirah TV reports that US fighter jets have carried out more attacks, including a strike on a communications network in Jabal Namah, in the Jablah district of the Ibb governorate, that has killed one person.

US forces have also carried out two strikes in the Kitaf district in the Saada governorate, and a strike on the Kahlan area east of the city of Saada.

US military bombs car in northern Yemen: Report

We have been reporting on the US military’s overnight attacks on Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen. Houthi-affiliated media now report that “American armed reconnaissance aircraft targeted a citizen’s car” in Saada governorate’s Majz district.

It is not clear whether there have been any casualties in this incident.

Casualties reported as Israeli military carries out new attacks in Syria

As we have been reporting, Israeli warplanes have bombed several military sites and a research facility in Syria in what Damascus has decried as “unjustifiable escalation” aiming to threaten stability in the country.

The Quds News Network and the Palestinian Information Center now report that the Israeli military has carried out fresh attacks on targets in Syria’s Daraa governorate, resulting in casualties.

11 killed following Israeli attacks in Syria: Reports

We have been reporting on the Israeli military’s latest attacks on targets in Syria’s Daraa governorate. Those strikes have resulted in at least 11 deaths, according to the Al-Aqsa news network and the Palestinian Information Center, citing Syrian sources.

Israeli military confirms killing fighters during southern Syria raid

Israel’s military said ground troops and its air force killed several fighters in southern Syria’s Deraa governorate, near the town of Tasil, during a raid overnight to confiscate “combat equipment and destroy terror infrastructure”.

Israeli forces came under fire during the raid and responded with ground and air attacks that “eliminated several armed terrorists”, the military said in a post on social media.

The military also said it would not tolerate the “presence of combat equipment in southern Syria” which it said constitutes a “threat to the State of Israel”.

We reported earlier that Israeli warplanes bombed Syria’s capital Damascus and the central province of Hama. Later reports said that Israeli strikes in Deraa governorate had killed 11 people.

Israeli military carries out strikes on southern Lebanon: Report

The Israeli military has carried out three air strikes on the town of Naqoura in southern Lebanon, according to the Quds News Network.

No casualties have been reported so far.

Israeli military carries out more strikes on southern Lebanon

Earlier, we reported that Israeli fighter jets had bombed the town of Naqoura in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s National News Agency now reports that the Israeli military has carried out more attacks on Naqoura, including a strike on a home in the centre of the town, and a second on the town’s outskirts.