Israel sees Hamas as a number in Gaza, but there is no end to the fierce fighting in sight. The situation is unbearable for civilians. There are warnings around the world about the consequences. The overview.
Despite the increasing number of civilian deaths, Israel wants to further intensify the war in the Gaza Strip against the Islamist Hamas – and is spreading certainty of victory. The war will continue, “but this is the beginning of the end for Hamas,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu predicted in a video message on Sunday evening.
“To the Hamas terrorists I say: It’s over. Don’t die for (Gaza Hamas chief Jihia) Sinwar. Surrender – now.” Meanwhile, international criticism of his government’s actions is growing amid an increasingly catastrophic situation for civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Blinken: Hamas could lay down its weapons
According to the United Nations, half of the population in the Gaza Strip is now starving. There are warnings around the world that the unbearable suffering is only driving more Palestinians into the arms of Hamas. When asked about this in an interview on the US television channel CNN, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken replied: “These are decisions that Israel has to make.” But it is also because of Hamas. Instead of hiding behind civilians, she could simply surrender. “She could lay down her arms tomorrow, she could surrender tomorrow, and then it would all be over,” Blinken said.
Israel: More than 22,000 targets attacked
The Israeli military says it has attacked more than 22,000 targets since the war began a good two months ago. The coastal area on the Mediterranean sealed off by Israel is only slightly larger in area than the city of Munich. The army announced on Sunday evening that several commanders of two northern Hamas brigades, which had around 14,500 men under their command, had been killed. The army published the names of the “eliminated” men.
For the first time, artillery troops are now deployed within the Gaza Strip, in addition to tank and ground troops. So far, the artillery force has been deployed from the border line. According to Israel, Hamas is counted. According to information from National Security Advisor Zachi Hanegbi on Saturday evening, not only are around 7,000 Hamas terrorists already dead. According to official reports, more and more Hamas fighters are also laying down their weapons. “In recent days, dozens of Hamas terrorists have surrendered to our forces,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said.
Report: There can be no question of mass surrender
In recent days, the army has released videos from northern Gaza showing arrested Palestinian men in their underpants. However, the Haaretz newspaper wrote on Sunday, citing unnamed representatives of the security forces, that of the several hundred Palestinians arrested so far, only around 10 to 15 percent belonged to Hamas or organizations affiliated with it. It was said that there could currently be no talk of a mass surrender.
Report: Israel wants to stop images of half-naked men in Gaza
After outrage over images of prisoners in their underpants, Israel wants to prevent further distribution of such images. National Security Adviser Zachi Hanegbi said Sunday evening that suspects must be searched to ensure they are not carrying weapons or explosives, according to The Times of Israel. However, the images of them in their underpants would “serve no one.” He expects the distribution to stop. The images raised concerns about Israel’s arrest procedures in Gaza and questions about possible rights violations or degrading treatment, wrote the Times of Israel.
The Gaza war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel’s history, carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other groups on October 7th in Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip. More than 1,200 people were killed in the unprecedented attacks. Israel then began massive air strikes and, since the end of October, a ground offensive in the area. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, around 18,000 people have now been killed and more than 49,200 injured.
“Of course everyone wants this campaign to end as quickly as possible,” Blinken told CNN. But any country that has been brutally attacked by a terrorist organization and that has repeatedly said it would do so again “needs to get to the point where it is confident that it cannot happen again,” he said Keep blinking. His country had previously vetoed a draft resolution for a humanitarian ceasefire in the UN Security Council.
As the Israeli news site Ynet reported last night, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan plans to visit Israel at the end of this week. Sullivan will meet with senior officials in Jerusalem to discuss, among other things, increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza.
WHO: Consequences of the conflict catastrophic
The Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described on Sunday the devastating situation in the coastal area sealed off by Israel. “The consequences of the conflict on health are catastrophic,” he said at the start of a special meeting of the WHO Executive Board in Geneva.
In the evening, the Council adopted a resolution without a vote that, among other things, calls for an expansion of humanitarian aid deliveries. The USA, Germany and other countries complained that the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th was not mentioned and condemned in the text.
What is important today
The European Union foreign ministers’ meetings in Brussels are also dealing with the Gaza war. The situation of civilians is becoming more and more unbearable.