War in the Middle East
Hamas: More than 25,000 dead in Gaza – Netanyahu under pressure
Smoke rises into the sky after an Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip. photo
© Leo Correa/AP/dpa
Israel wants to destroy Hamas after the devastating massacre in early October. But doubts are growing that the war, which has long kept the entire region in suspense, will achieve its goal. The overview.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war three and a half months ago, according to the Islamist Hamas killed more than 25,000 Palestinians. As the Israeli army continues its fighting in the sealed-off coastal strip over the weekend, criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions is increasingly being voiced. Many question the strategy he is pursuing to defeat Hamas.
Driven by concern for the more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas terrorists, thousands of people took to the streets in Israel on Saturday. In order to facilitate a new hostage release deal, they called for an end to the war, which is causing tensions to rise across the Middle East.
Israel’s army reports dozens of terrorists killed in Gaza
The Israeli army says it killed dozens of terrorists and found weapons during operations in the Gaza Strip. Israel assumes that a total of around 9,000 terrorists have been killed so far. The declared aim of the war is to destroy Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip and which carried out a massacre in Israel at the beginning of October that left 1,200 dead.
However, US intelligence agencies estimate that Israel has so far only managed to kill 20 to 30 percent of Hamas fighters. This was reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed US government officials. According to the report, the US also assumes that Hamas has enough ammunition to continue attacking Israel and Israeli troops in Gaza for months.
Relatives of hostages demand an end to the fighting
“Stop fighting, pay the price!” Israeli media quoted a relative of a hostage held in the Gaza Strip as taking part in a protest against Israel’s head of government in the coastal city of Tel Aviv on Saturday. Netanyahu and his colleagues say that only the military defeat of Hamas can lead to the liberation of the abductees. The Haaretz newspaper accused the head of government of not making strategic decisions in the fight against Hamas and its ally Hezbollah – and sees deep mistrust growing as a result.
Army discovers hostage dungeon
There are currently 136 hostages being held in the coastal area. Israel believes that around 25 hostages are no longer alive. In a tunnel under the home of a Hamas terrorist in the hotly contested town of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, the army discovered a dungeon in which 20 hostages were being held. They were there at different times, and some of them have since been released through an exchange for Palestinian prisoners, said army spokesman Daniel Hagari.
Turkish Foreign Minister meets Hamas leader Haniya in Ankara
The hostages were also said to have been discussed at a meeting in Ankara: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the head of the Islamist Hamas, Ismail Hanija, met there. They also discussed the need to reach a ceasefire in Gaza as quickly as possible, Anadolu news agency reported, citing diplomatic sources. Hamas is considered a terrorist organization in Europe and the USA, but not in Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the terrorist attack on Israel, but later described Hamas, which was responsible for it, as a “liberation organization.”
Tensions in the Middle East continue to rise
Israel has responded to the unprecedented onslaught by Hamas and other extremist groups with massive air strikes and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. But the military conflicts are no longer limited to Gaza and Israel. On Sunday, two people were killed in a suspected Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon. According to the Al-Arabija television channel, those killed were members of the Shiite militia Hezbollah.
Israel is also suspected of being behind an airstrike in the Syrian capital Damascus that killed five members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Saturday. These included four “military advisors” and one soldier, the elite unit said. Iran’s president threatened retaliation.
A few hours later, rockets hit the US base in Ain Al-Assad in western Iraq, according to the US military’s regional command. The US blamed Iranian-backed fighters. Pro-Iranian militias are increasingly attacking Israel’s ally bases in response to Israel’s military operation in Gaza.