Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that he is “changing the face of the Middle East.” It is, he says, “a war of rebirth.” It is, in a sense, undoubtedly true. But Netanyahu is a master tactician,

Israel resumed its military offensive in Gaza in March, blaming Hamas for rejecting a new US proposal to extend the ceasefire and free the remaining hostages. Since then, the Israeli military has launched waves of airstrikes on the besieged territory, killing hundreds of Palestinians and forcing many more to evacuate.

A top official said “large areas” of the enclave would be seized, suggesting that Israel intended to hold on to more territory.

Israel has been accused of executing Palestinian paramedics after bodies were found in a mass grave with their hands tied and bullet wounds to the head.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a major expansion of the military’s operation in Gaza involving the seizure of large areas of land that would be “incorporated into Israel’s security zones.