There is no end in sight to the Gaza war. The Israeli armed forces are preparing for long fighting. However, there should be temporary humanitarian breaks. The overview.
Tel Aviv/Gaza – Israel is preparing for a long war against the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Defense Minister Joav Galant said on Thursday that the armed forces are prepared to continue fighting the organization, which has been classified as a terrorist group by the EU, the USA and Israel, for years to come. The army will find everyone involved in the October 7 massacre in Israel. “No matter whether it takes a week, a month, a year and possibly even years.”
He also spoke out against a compromise with Hamas and other extremist groups in the Gaza Strip, saying they had harmed and murdered Israeli citizens. “We will eliminate them all.”
Meanwhile, Iran warned against expanding the Gaza war to the entire region. “Due to the massive expansion of the war against civilian residents of Gaza, the expansion of the scale of the war is now inevitable,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian. Israel has been Tehran’s declared archenemy since the 1979 revolution.
Israel wants to allow civilians safe passage from the combat zone
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to continue to allow civilians to safely escape from the combat zone in the sealed-off Gaza Strip. “The fighting against Hamas, the Hamas terrorists, continues, but we want to allow safe passage of civilians from the combat zone in certain places for a certain period of time, a few hours here, a few hours there. And that’s what we do,” he told US broadcaster Fox News. Earlier in Washington, US National Security Council communications director John Kirby said Israel had agreed to daily, four-hour humanitarian breaks in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu: “We must destroy Hamas”
Prime Minister Netanyahu also said Israel does not want to try to conquer, rule or occupy the Gaza Strip. “But we want to give him and ourselves a better future throughout the Middle East. And for that to happen, Hamas must be defeated.” Netanyahu said he had not set a timetable “because it may take more time.” “We must destroy Hamas, not just for our sake, but for the sake of the people. For the sake of civilization, for the sake of Palestinians and Israelis alike.” The Gaza Strip must be demilitarized, de-radicalized and rebuilt.
Military: 9,500 projectiles fired at Israel since war began
According to the Israeli armed forces, 9,500 rockets and mortar shells as well as dozens of drones have been fired towards Israel since the beginning of the Gaza war. Since the ground operations in the Gaza Strip, the number of shootings has decreased significantly, the military said. The army did not explicitly say whether bullets from Lebanon, Yemen and Syria were also counted. Twelve percent of all projectiles landed in the Gaza Strip itself, which is controlled by the Islamist Hamas. Around 900 were fired from civilian locations, including mosques, schools and hospitals.
Israel intercepts missile with new Arrow 3 defense system for the first time
The Israeli armed forces successfully used their new Arrow 3 missile defense system for the first time. An object fired at Israel was intercepted in the Red Sea area, the Israeli Defense Ministry said. The Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen had previously said they had attacked Israel with rockets. It was initially unclear whether the missile intercepted by the Arrow 3 system was a Houthi rebel missile. “The Arrow missile intercepted a threat that was traveling far from the state of Israel,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari said. “We intercepted a surface-to-surface missile that was fired in our direction.”
Palestinians: 14 dead in Israeli military operation in Jenin
According to Palestinian sources, at least 14 people were killed in an Israeli military operation in Jenin in the West Bank. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said more than 20 others were injured. The Israel Defense Forces said a drone struck terrorists in the refugee district of Jenin during the operation. They shot at the soldiers and threw explosive devices. The troops used heavy equipment to destroy dozens of hidden explosive devices. The army reported ten Palestinians killed. In addition, 20 suspects, including members of Islamic Jihad, were arrested. The emergency services also discovered weapons.
What will be important on Friday
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is heading to the Middle East for another series of crisis talks in connection with the Gaza war. According to the Foreign Office in Berlin, the planned stops on the trip are the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Israel. The Green politician initially wanted to fly to Abu Dhabi on Friday. During the course of the day we should continue to the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.
On Saturday the onward journey to Israel is on the agenda. Baerbock is visiting Israel for the third time since the Islamist Hamas terrorist attacks on the country began on October 7th. The Foreign Office said that the talks would focus, among other things, on the release of the German hostages, the dramatic humanitarian situation in Gaza and German efforts to prevent a regional conflagration.
The UN Security Council will also discuss the situation in the Middle East again on Friday. dpa
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