Israel PM threatens to seize parts of Gaza

JERUSALEM — Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to seize parts of Gaza if Hamas does not release hostages, while the militant group warned they would return "in coffins" if Israel did not stop bombing the Palestinian territory.

Just over a week since its military resumed operations following a truce in January, Israel said two projectiles were fired from the Gaza Strip, with one intercepted and the other landing near the border. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The firing of rockets came as anti-war protests were held in the Gaza Strip for a second day, with demonstrators chanting slogans against Hamas and calling for an end to the conflict.

Israel's resumption of intense bombardment and ground operations across Gaza shattered weeks of relative calm brought by a fragile ceasefire, and militants returned to launching rocket attacks days later.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said on Thursday that 855 people had been killed since Israel resumed its strikes on March 18. No deaths have been reported on the Israeli side.

The United Nations said on Wednesday that the renewed Israeli operations had displaced 142,000 people in just seven days, and warned of dwindling supplies amid Israel's blocking of aid.

'Full force'

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the military would "soon operate with full force in additional areas of Gaza "and send out more evacuation orders. Military spokesman Avichay Adraee later issued evacuation warnings for residents in several areas in and around Gaza City.

Israel says the new operations are meant to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages following a stalemate in talks with mediators on extending the truce.

Israel wanted an extension of the truce's initial phase, while Hamas demanded talks enter a second stage that was meant to lead to a permanent ceasefire.

Netanyahu told parliament on Wednesday that "the more Hamas persists in its refusal to release our hostages, the stronger the pressure we will exert".

"This includes the seizure of territories, along with other measures I will not elaborate here."

Hamas said, "Every time the (Israeli) occupation attempts to retrieve its captives by force, it ends up bringing them back in coffins."

Separately, Hamas said an Israeli airstrike killed its spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou on Thursday, the latest Hamas official targeted since Israel resumed its bombardment.

The group said Qanou was killed in what it called a direct strike on a tent he was in, in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza.

Last week Israel's military said it had killed the head of Hamas' internal security agency, Rashid Jahjouh, in an airstrike.

Agencies Via Xinhua