Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Sunday that Hamas militants captured by troops revealed that “the group is collapsing from within” as Israel intensifies its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
“In the last week or two, hundreds of terrorists have been captured and what they say about what happened to them tells the whole story. They say that Hamas is collapsing from within, the price they are paying is very heavy,” Gallant said.
“We’re going to eliminate everyone who was involved in the events of October 7, the junior [officials], the senior ones and the very senior ones; those who were inside [Israel] or who gave instructions,” he added.
On October 7th, the Palestinian terror group Hamas launched a major attack on Israel, marking the beginning of the current conflict.
According to the reports on that day, around 1200 Israeli citizens and foreign residents were killed, with hundreds more being taken hostage. It’s been reported that some of these hostages are still held captive by Hamas.
Over the weekend, the Israeli Defense Force announced that its troops discovered a stash of weapons hidden in the maternity ward of Shifa Hospital. The raid on the hospital, aimed at targeting Hamas terrorists, had been ongoing for three weeks.
According to the IDF, weapons such as mortars, explosive devices, sniper rifles, assault rifles, handguns, and other military gear were found hidden inside patient pillows and beds.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to launch an invasion of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, despite growing concerns from the Biden administration regarding Israeli military actions and the rising number of civilian casualties.
Netanyahu announced his approval of the IDF’s “operational plan” for Rafah, stating that the force is “prepared for the evacuation of the civilian population and for the provision of humanitarian assistance.”
“This is the right thing both operationally and internationally,” he said.
“This will take time but it will be done. We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there for one simple reason: There is no victory without entering Rafah and there is no victory without eliminating the Hamas battalions there.”
Netanyahu emphasized that achieving victory requires a ground offensive in Rafah. However, with more than half of the territory’s 2.3 million population seeking refuge there after escaping conflict in other areas, the situation is increasingly complex.
Netanyahu’s and Biden’s administrations were scheduled to have a virtual meeting on Monday to talk about the plans for the Rafah offensive.
Netanyahu had called off a prior series of face-to-face meetings with a top-level delegation following the U.S. decision to abstain from a U.N. Security Council resolution urging a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
Following the vote, Netanyahu’s office asserted that the United States had “abandoned its policy in the UN today,” labeling the choice to abstain “a clear departure from the consistent US position in the Security Council since the beginning of the war.”
The White House has warned that a military operation in Rafah might cause widespread civilian casualties and worsen the humanitarian crisis in the area. Additionally, there are fears that Israel’s ongoing military campaign could severely damage its reputation within the global community.
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