CAIRO, May 6. /TASS/. The Palestinian movement Hamas announced that the expansion of the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip means that the Israeli authorities are ready to sacrifice the lives of hostages, the radicals said in a statement.

"The Israeli authorities okaying plans to extend the ground operation in Gaza is nothing but an evident decision to sacrifice the hostages remaining in the enclave," the statement posted on the group’s Telegram channel said.

Hamas also addressed the UN and the international community with a request to "immediately take measures to put an end to the actions of the Israeli authorities and hold them accountable" for everything taking place in the enclave.

On Monday, Israel’s Ynet portal reported that the country’s military and political cabinet had approved a plan to intensify the Gaza operation. According to Israeli state-run Radio Kan, the operation, dubbed "Gideon’s Chariots," aims to destroy the Gaza-based Palestinian movement Hamas. To this end, it is planned "to push the entire population of Gaza to a ‘safe zone’ in the south of the enclave," while in other parts of the enclave, the IDF will be free to operate.

On March 18, the IDF resumed fighting in the Gaza Strip, launching massive strikes on the enclave and thus breaking the ceasefire established in January. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that Israel had restarted military operations in the enclave after Hamas rejected the US proposals put forward by mediators and US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff. The office stated that the Israeli military had resumed strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza to facilitate the release of hostages and that the army would escalate its campaign in the enclave. According to the latest data by the Israeli side, currently 24 hostages and bodies of 35 captives are still being held in the enclave. The Gaza-based movement has blamed the United States for the renewal of Israeli aggression.