Israel’s defense minister says the country's military operation in the Gaza Strip is expanding to seize “large areas” of the Palestinian territory.

The Israeli military has indicated it could soon launch another major offensive in Rafah and ordered most of the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip evacuated.

The U.N. said Israel killed the people as they were trying to aid injured civilians, and then buried them in a mass grave. Israel said nine were militants.

Israel will “seize large areas” of the Gaza Strip in a major expansion of military operations, the defense minister said Wednesday, as airstrikes continued to pound the blockaded territory where supplies are quickly dwindling.

Israeli officials are ordering mass evacuations in southern Gaza as part of a "maximum pressure" campaign despite Hamas's agreement to a mediated peace proposal.

Israeli strikes across the southern Gaza Strip killed at least 26 Palestinians overnight into Sunday, including a Hamas political leader and several women and children. Residents said tanks had advanced into an area of the southern city of Rafah as the military ordered it evacuated.

The Israeli military has indicated it could soon launch another major offensive in Rafah and ordered most of the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip evacuated. Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas and renewed its air and ground war earlier this month.

IDF chief vows that 'the only thing that can stop us from advancing is the release of our hostages,' as troops launch new offensive, accompanied by heavy airstrikes