Israel’s defense minister said it was preparing to seize more territory in Gaza and intensify attacks unless the Palestinian group freed more of the dozens of remaining captives.

Israeli Defense Minister Katz told Hamas that the IDF would take "permanent" and "annexed" control of parts of the Gaza Strip unless the hostages were freed.

Hamas fired rockets at Israel from Gaza Thursday, the militant group’s first response to Israel’s renewed offensive in the Strip that shattered the two-month-old ceasefire.

The Israeli military expanded its ground offensive in Gaza, and killed at least 80 Palestinians in a new wave of strikes Thursday. Hamas fired its first rockets since Israel broke a recent ceasefire.

Hamas says it launched three rockets at Tel Aviv - the first time the group is known to have fired back since Israel resumed its military offensive in Gaza. Israel said it intercepted one of the missiles and the others fell into uninhabited land.