ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER, April 3, 2025 Smoke rises from damaged buildings in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, on April 3, 2025. Israel's military said on Thursday it has entered a ''new stage'' of its offensive in Gaza, escalating operations that have killed over 250 people it identified as militants or Hamas-affiliated individuals since mid-March, while Palestinian health officials reported a higher death toll. Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Effie Defrin stated that Israeli forces had conducted more than 600 strikes in Gaza since resuming operations on March 18, following the collapse of a ceasefire. (Credit Image: å© Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua via ZUMA Press)