News summary
- Minister Yoav Gallant met with the Israeli Air Force this Sunday.
- He said he would continue to attack Gaza from the air before entering the area by land.
- Netanyahu said Hezbollah would be making its “biggest mistake” if it entered the war.
- The Americans also threatened Iran if Hamas murdered more hostages in Gaza.
Yoav Gallant meets soldiers on the IsraelGaza border Ronen Zvulun/Portal
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel’s next ground offensive in Gaza could last three months, but it will be the last if the country manages to eliminate the terrorist group Hamas.
“This has to be the last maneuver [terrestre] in Gaza, for the simple reason that after this there will be no more Hamas. It will take a month, two months, three months, but in the end there will be no Hamas,” Gallant said this Sunday (22) at the Israeli Air Force command center in Tel Aviv, according to the Times of Israel website.
“Before the enemy is confronted with tank and infantry forces, he is confronted with Luftwaffe bombs,” Gallant continued. “I feel like you know how to make this lethal, precise and high quality as proven so far.”
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The final weekend of war in the Middle East was marked by intensifying Israeli bomber raids on the Gaza Strip as the country prepares to invade the territory by land.
The Palestinian territory has been deprived of basic food supplies since October 9, when Israel declared a total siege of the region. According to the AFP news channel, an official at the Rafah border crossing reported on Saturday (21) that six tankers carrying fuel had entered the Gaza Strip. But the Israeli army denies the information.
The conflict began on October 7 with an unprecedented attack on Israel by the terrorist group Hamas, which claimed more than 6,000 lives.
Region is a powder keg
With the escalation of tensions in the region, which also includes the support of Hamas by the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech increased again and also threatened his neighbor to the north.
“We would attack with a force that you cannot even imagine, and that would be devastating,” he also said this Sunday, as Israel evacuated 14 more communities in the north and shot down three Lebanese terrorist drones near the border.
A region of Egypt south of Rafah also suffered minor injuries after being accidentally attacked by the Israelis on the same day.
Meanwhile, the United States government announced it would step up its military deployment in the region to prevent a widespread conflict and asked staff at its embassy in Iraq to return to the country, AFP reported.
The Americans also sent a message to Iran, a historic ally of Hamas. During a visit to Tel Aviv, Senator Lindsey Graham said that if the terrorist group killed hostages in Gaza, the US would hold Tehran responsible, according to the Jerusalem Post.
“We are here today to tell Iran that we are watching you. If this war escalates, it will reach you too.”
SEE MORE: Tents, tanks and trigger fingers: 300,000 Israeli soldiers wait for the signal to enter Gaza by land
The approximately 300,000 soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces who are on the border with Gaza have been waiting for 13 days for the green light from commanders to enter enemy territory Destruction of the structure of the terrorist group Hamas
You several battalions I must be distracted and wait for it Occupation regulations. This includes building tents and tents, preparing tanks and assault vehicles, and lots of talking to pass the time.
In addition to the 169,500 contract soldiers, more than 360,000 Israeli civilians were called up as reservists after the conflict began. Although they do not enter Gaza by land, Israeli forces carry out bombings in Gaza in response to attacks by Hamas terrorists
The order for Israeli soldiers to move south and stay on the border with Gaza came at the same time Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration of warPrime Minister of Israel, on October 7, the day of Hamas’ terrorist attack against civilians
Israelis who have completed military service and make up the majority of the country’s adult population must remain in the reserves until they turn 40.
Israel has an active reserve system for fighters and special forces that train one month a year. Women, whose number in combat units is limited, are exempt from these exercises after the birth of their first child
Many of the reservists left civilian life and joined the military via phone call or text message. After the attack by Hamas terrorists, they had around eight hours to get to their base
So far, more than 3,700 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis have died in the conflict
Most of the troops are on Gaza’s northern border, a region whose evacuation has been recommended by Israeli authorities.
Meanwhile, Israeli army spokesman Colonel Richard Hecht said the arrival of humanitarian aid in Gaza was imminent.