Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said the military will expand its operation in Gaza and seize large areas of the territory. In a statement, Katz said the expanded operation aimed to destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure. He said seized areas would be incorporated into Israeli security zones. He added this would require a large-scale evacuation of Palestinians and urged the population to eliminate Hamas and return Israeli hostages. This, he said, was the only way to end the war. The announcement follows his warning last week that the military would soon operate with full force in additional parts of Gaza.