Israel has reportedly killed 500 people with its renewed assault in Gaza, as its threats to Palestinian civilians take on an increasingly menacing tone.

Israel’s defense minister said that he’d instructed the Israeli military “to seize additional areas in Gaza, while evacuating the population, and to expand the security zones around Gaza in order to protect Israeli communities and IDF soldiers through permanent maintenance of the territory by Israel.

The Israeli military took control of more territory and said that operations had moved into additional areas in the north and south of the enclave.

With talks having failed to bridge differences over terms to extend the ceasefire, the military resumed its air assaults on Gaza.

The death toll in Gaza has passed the 50,000 mark as Israel expanded its fighting in the Palestinian enclave on Sunday.