Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that the military operation in the city of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, “will intensify” with the deployment of more troops with the aim of “wearing down” Hamas, where they remain at least four battalions.
“This operation will continue with additional forces joining. Our forces destroyed several tunnels in the area and more will be destroyed soon”, said the minister this Wednesday (15) after visiting the headquarters of the 162nd Army Division that operates on the Gaza border, near Rafah.
Likewise, Gallant guaranteed, in statements that were only revealed this Thursday (16), that thanks to the Israeli offensive the terrorist group is increasingly weakened and with less capacity to “regenerate”.
“Hamas has no supplies, no ammunition, no capacity to manufacture weapons, nor to properly treat injured terrorists, and that means we are wearing it down,” the minister said.
The Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel reported that the Army is waiting for the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to approve the expansion of the offensive in Rafah, as it has done so far in stages. At least 450,000 Gazans have already left the border city with Egypt after the arrival of Israeli troops.
And although Gallant is firm in maintaining this offensive, yesterday he asked Netanyahu to find a Palestinian alternative to Hamas to govern in the Gaza Strip that does not involve the Army or Israeli authorities.
The minister assured that since October last year he has been trying to get the Israeli authorities to address the need to find a “non-hostile alternative for local and Palestinian government” for the enclave. (With EFE Agency)
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