SAID KHATIB / AFP
These images from Rafah show continued Israeli bombardments in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip, on December 9, 2023.
MIDDLE EAST – Entering its 64th day this Saturday, December 9, the war between Israel and Hamas risks further intensifying. Because the day after the United States vetoed a UN resolution for a “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are once again raising their voices.
“Other countries must understand that we cannot on the one hand support the elimination of Hamas and on the other call for an end to the war, which would prevent the elimination of Hamas”declared Benjamin Netanyahu in particular this Saturday evening. “So Israel will continue its just war to eliminate Hamas”he said.
The head of the Israeli government also took advantage of this speech to welcome “the appropriate position adopted by the United States in the UN Security Council”.
Latest sign of Washington’s strong support for Tel Aviv: the US government has approved “emergency” and without going through Congress a sale of nearly 14,000 tank shells to Israel for its war against Hamas. Equipment worth $106.5 million which will be able to equip the Merkava battle tanks engaged in the offensive.
“Increase the pressure” military
For his part, Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi called for “increase the pressure” military in the Palestinian territory, during a ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. According to the general, “Every day we see more and more terrorists killed, more and more terrorists injured, and in recent days we see terrorists surrendering.”
In the Gaza Strip, new Israeli bombardments by air and sea were also reported this Saturday, with the Israeli army indicating that it was targeting “terrorist targets”while its “Ground troops continue fighting in different locations”.
Hamas has also claimed responsibility for rocket attacks on southern Israel and images broadcast by the armed wing of Islamic Jihad (the other major Islamist movement in Gaza) show fighters firing mortar shells at Israeli forces near of Khan Younès, epicenter of the conflict in recent days.
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