Israel is preparing to launch the long-awaited ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, eight days after the Hamas massacre in the south of the country. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is still in the region to try to contain the conflict and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe (today he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia), while in Gaza the civilian population is hemmed in between IDF bombings and the request to leave the northern area as quickly as possible. Reasons why the land offensive could be postponed for a few days. Meanwhile, the first meeting of the government of national unity launched this week to deal with the state of war took place in Tel Aviv today, at which former Chief of General Staff Benny Gantz and other politicians were “co-opted” into opposition until a few days ago Gideon Saar and Cadi Eizenkot. “We will destroy Hamas,” Benjamin Netanyahu promised at the start of the meeting, which was preceded by a solemn moment of silence in memory of the victims of the terrorist attack. “We work tirelessly, as a team and as one. “The unity among us sends a clear message to the national team, to the enemy and to the world,” said the Israeli prime minister, who reiterated that “our great soldiers at the front know that the entire nation is with them, and so are they.” ready to take action at any time to defeat these bloodthirsty monsters that have sought to destroy us.
The number of deaths and hostages in Gaza
Gaza is being “plunged into an abyss”, the UN told the BBC, while the Palestinian health ministry last week updated its estimates of deaths and injuries. The number of casualties in Gaza and the West Bank has risen to 2,384, while the number of injured is 10,250. In the morning, the Arab Ahli Anglican Hospital in Gaza was hit by several Israeli rockets. The announcement was made by the Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem, Hosem Naoum, who specified: “Two floors were damaged and four people were injured.” The ultrasound and mammography room was damaged.” Among the victims of this morning’s airstrikes is Billal Al Kedra, the Hamas commander in the town of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli army, he was responsible for the mass killing of civilians at Kibbutz Nirim in southern Israel last Saturday. There are 126 hostages of Israelis and other nationalities in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army confirmed this morning. According to Hamas, 13 hostages have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in recent days, including some foreigners. According to Portal, at least 279 Israeli soldiers have died since October 7, while the total number of casualties in the country stands at over 1,300.
Waiting for ground intervention
According to the AFP news agency, the United States will evacuate its citizens from Israel by sea on Monday. Israel will only launch “significant military operations” once the civilian population has left Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman told CNN. “We need to focus on not starting major military operations until we see that civilians have left the area,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus. “It’s really important that the people of Gaza know that we have been very, very generous with our time. We gave notice in good time, more than 25 hours. Meanwhile, the evacuation of the town of Sderot, near the strip that has been the site of Hamas attacks and repeatedly hit by rocket fire, begins. “This is not the time to stay in the city,” said Mayor Allon Davidi. The city has 30,000 residents who have the right to stay in guesthouses in safer places in Israel at state expense. According to the media, there is no obligation to evacuate and those who deem it appropriate can remain in their homes. Meanwhile, an anti-tank missile was fired from the Lebanese border this morning at the Shtula Moshav in northern Israel. The IDF is attacking targets in southern Lebanon, where the attack reportedly began.
In the Gaza Strip, people drink salt water
Meanwhile, the exodus of civilians continues south, with many fleeing Gaza City despite calls from Hamas to stay. The Bundeswehr spokesmen announce that the new phase is imminent. Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders fired rockets at Israeli cities yesterday until a more massive rocket attack on Tel Aviv at 9 p.m. The strip remains without power and on the coast, power outages have caused the desalination plant to explode. In practice, seawater comes out of the taps. More than 2,000 Palestinians have died, including civilians and combatants. Yesterday, the English broadcaster BBC confirmed and confirmed that it was apparently an Israeli bomb attack on a fleeing convoy: the impact, which was not filmed, claimed 70 lives. The Israeli army describes the matter as a Hamas lie.
Iran’s warning
Iran sent a message to Israel this evening through the UN Middle East envoy saying it does not want further escalation and that it must intervene if the Israeli operation in Gaza continues. The website Axios reports exclusively on this, citing two diplomatic sources familiar with the situation. “The responsibility (for the continuation of Israeli attacks) lies with the United Nations, the Security Council and the states that are leading the council into a dead end,” the Iranian mission added. In the morning, Tehran’s warning becomes more concrete: If Israel invades Gaza, the Iranian government warns, “no one can guarantee control of the situation.”
China’s position
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a telephone conversation with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud yesterday about the Middle East crisis, noting that Israel’s actions “went beyond the scope of self-defense.” While Tel Aviv should “seriously listen to the appeals of the international community and the UN Secretary-General to stop the collective punishment of the people of Gaza.” According to a diplomatic note from Beijing released today, both expressed “concern about the situation in Israel and Gaza.” All parties, Wang added, “should not take any measures to aggravate the situation and should return to the negotiating table as soon as possible,” giving absolute priority to all efforts to ensure the safety of civilians and first opening channels for humanitarian assistance and to protect the basic needs of the Gazan population. “China believes that the historical injustice against Palestine has been going on for more than half a century and cannot continue: all peace-loving and justice-loving countries should raise their voices and demand the implementation of the “two-state solution” as soon as possible. possible,” the Chinese diplomat chief remarked, assuring that Beijing “is ready to work with Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries to continue supporting the just Palestinian cause and achieve a global, just and lasting solution.” Faisal said Saudi Arabia “condemns all attacks on civilians and rejects Israel’s forcible relocation of Gazans from the region under the Law on the Protection of Civilians from Harm and in accordance with Security Council resolutions on the Palestinian issue.”
What the final operation will look like
Yesterday, after visiting the sites of the massacre in southern Israel, Kibbutzim Beeri and Kfar Aza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also met the fighters in the field, including the commander of the parachute brigade. He told soldiers: “Be prepared for what is about to happen.” While on social media, U.S. Central Command said A-10 ground support aircraft will soon join the F-15 aircraft already deployed located in the region. CNN reported on it.
Hamas leaders urge citizens to remain in Doha during their stay
Ismail Hanyeh, a Hamas leader who lives in Qatar, calls for “no deportations within the Gaza Strip and no exiles to Egypt.” Another fundamentalist leader, also from Doha, told the American New Yorker magazine yesterday that the organization was “ready to release the hostages” if Israel ends the military campaign.
(Photo ANSA/EPA/MOHAMMED SABER)
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