“We know what needs to be done and we are ready for the next phase” of the war against Hamas at the end of the truce in the Gaza Strip. This was assured by the head of the Israeli Defense Forces, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi who yesterday gave his green light to resume the ground operation once the ceasefire ends.
While rumors continue regarding negotiations for the extension of the pause in hostilities that began last Monday, Meanwhile, Israel “is doing everything in its power to return all the hostages” held by Hamas since the October 7 attack. But the Israeli military “is ready to resume fighting immediately”the words during a briefing with Israeli security leaders by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The Jewish state is in fact “ready to resume the fight at a moment’s notice”, warns Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz. “We are in a complex moment. We will work to get the best“ of the agreement for the release of the hostagessaid Gantz speaking to the press, but “at the same time we are prepared and ready to return to fight, at any time, including right now“the “most important war” since the 1948 War of Independence. Vowing that Israel will give Hamas no respite, Gantz says the war will continue until residents of Israeli border communities who were evacuated during the fighting “can return safely” to their homes.
Extension of the truce, Israel’s conditions
Meanwhile, Israel will insist that all the children and women taken hostage in the Strip be released before discussing an extension of the agreement that would also include the release of men and soldiers, an official from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin’s office explained. Netanyahu, as reported by the Times of Israel.
“We have an agreement, the agreement concerns children and women. We know the names of all the children and all the women who are in the Gaza Strip. We do not accept the idea that Hamas does not know where they are, that it has difficulty finding them,” the official said.
Israel, the source added, referring to the Israelis whose release was agreed, “will not abandon 27 people to discuss a new agreement that would be violated in the same way.” Hamas is reportedly willing to further extend the ceasefire, which is now in its sixth day and expires tomorrow morning. However, the hypothesis of ”an all-for-all agreement”, i.e. which provides for the release of all the hostages in exchange for the release of all Palestinian prisoners, was rejected.
159 Israelis still in Gaza, Hamas: “60 killed by Israeli raid”
A total of 159 Israelis are still being held hostage by Hamas and other groups in Gaza, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman said. According to what former Hamas health minister Bassem Naim claims, 60 hostages were killed in the raids conducted by Israel on the Strip in response to the October 7 attack. “We confirmed two or three weeks ago that 60 Israelis were killed during the Israeli bombings and are still under the rubble,” he said during a press conference in Cape Town yesterday, also speaking of women and children who were victims of the raids. .
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