Israeli troops are “in the heart of Gaza City”
The Israeli army operates in the heart of Gaza City, Hamas stronghold in the Palestinian enclave, and “tightens the noose”declared Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defense minister, during a televised press conference. “Army troops are in the heart of Gaza City. They arrived from the north and from the south. They entered into full coordination with the land, air and naval forces”he said.
He repeated the call for Palestinian civilians to move to the southern Gaza Strip for their own safety, after the IDF earlier in the day left a ” window “ four hours for civilians to leave Gaza City. Israeli soldiers “operate on foot, with armored vehicles and tanks (…) from all directions and they have one objective: the Hamas terrorists in Gaza, their infrastructure, their commanders, bunkers, communication rooms”declared the minister.
“We will destroy Hamas. (…) Our forces are ready on all fronts”he said, adding that “Gaza is the largest terrorist base ever built”. He also ruled out a pause in operations: “There will be no humanitarian truce without the return of the hostages. »
Asked about the Israeli government’s plans for the Gaza Strip once the war ends, he replied that “neither Hamas nor Israel” will not govern the enclave. “Everything else is a possibility”he added, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Monday that Israel would have “security responsibility” from the Gaza Strip for an indefinite period.
For his part, General Yaron Finkelman, head of the Southern Command of the Israeli armed forces, spoke in a press release the aim of the fighting which has continued for a month, which is to “strike at the heart of Hamas’ capabilities”. “For the first time in decades, the Israeli army is fighting in the heart of Gaza, in the heart of terrorism. It is a complex, difficult war and, unfortunately, it also comes with a high price.”he continued.