Israel’s siege of Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on the country last Saturday, which cost the lives of 900 people, “is just the beginning”. Word of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke again yesterday evening without however specifying whether the raids will also be followed by a land invasion.
The prime minister added that Israel will do everything to free prisoners held in Gaza, but warned that “difficult days are approaching” for the Jewish state, days that could create the conditions for a conflict that could take weeks, or even more, to conclude.
Yesterday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered “a total siege” of the Gaza Strip – also interrupting the supply of gas, water and fuel, in response to the attack. Meanwhile “the bodies of around 1,500 Palestinian terrorists have been found in Israeli territory near the Gaza border”, writes the Jerusalem Post in X.
Yesterday Israeli bombings were also carried out in southern Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported. The Israeli army then confirmed that its helicopters conducted raids on several sites in Lebanese territory after the attempted infiltration of a group of suspected “terrorists”, some of whom were “neutralized”. The Israeli army then specified that several armed targets that had infiltrated across the northern border were hit.
Israel’s position on the hostages and the Hamas ultimatum
Meanwhile, the Israeli government is working to obtain a “complete evolution” of the situation of the hostages captured by Hamas, promising to create “an effective mechanism” to help “all families anxious about the fate of their loved ones”. This is what retired general Gal Hirsh said, to whom Benjamin Netanyahu entrusted the delicate task of coordinating efforts for kidnapped and missing people, recognizing that we are working “in the midst of this difficult war”.
Israel has in any case decided that attacks against terrorist targets in Gaza will be conducted with great force and breadth, even at the cost of putting the Israelis taken hostage at risk. This was reported by a government source who then specified, reports the Times of Israel, that if the government has precise intelligence information on where the hostages are being held, it will obviously avoid striking these places. But at the moment this information is missing and all Hamas targets will be affected.
Meanwhile, the ultimatum from Hamas has arrived on the hostages: “We will begin to execute an Israeli prisoner for every bombing of civilian homes carried out without warning”, the announcement made by the terrorists and reported by Haaretz.
Hamas, al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obaida said in a video, will not negotiate over hostages under Israeli fire: “It has become clear that the enemy’s hostages are at just as much risk as our people in light of the aggression against the Gaza Strip”. “We will not deliberate or negotiate on the issue of hostages under fire, in light of aggression or in light of battle.”
Abu Obaida added that the al-Qassam Brigades are holding a large number of hostages in places of detention and that some have been killed. At least four civilians were killed while in Hamas custody, just steps from where armed militants were escorting them near the Gaza border, videos obtained and geolocated by CNN show.
The spokesperson went on to say that the Hamas assault was launched after years of planning and preparation. “Israel has killed hundreds and injured thousands of Palestinians over the past two years, yet it still has a seat at the United Nations and receives weapons from the United States to kill children and destroy homes,” he added.
Meloni, Biden, Sunak, Macron and Scholz: 5-party summit on the crisis
The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, meanwhile participated last night in a telephone meeting with the President of the United States, Joe Biden, the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, dedicated to examining the serious crisis “that opened after last Saturday’s barbaric attack perpetrated by Hamas against the State of Israel”.
The five Heads of State and Government, we read in a note from Palazzo Chigi, “expressed firm support for Israel and an unequivocal condemnation of the appalling criminal acts of Hamas, which have caused a terrible number of innocent victims, including children, women and the elderly. We then discussed the most urgent political initiatives to be undertaken together. The protection of the lives of the hostages, starting with even very young children, is an absolute priority and diplomatic efforts will focus on it”.
Meloni, “in reaffirming Israel’s right to defend itself, indicated the need to operate to avoid an expansion of the crisis at a regional level and to protect the civilian population involved”. The five Heads of State and Government have agreed to remain in constant contact as the crisis continues.
“With President Macron of France, Chancellor Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Sunak of the United Kingdom and President Biden of the United States we express our firm and united support for the State of Israel and our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism.” This is what we read in a note from the White House after the US president’s phone call with the four leaders.
“We make it clear that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy and must be universally condemned – reads the joint statement of the five leaders published on the White House website – There is never any justification for terrorism. In the last days, the world watched in horror as Hamas terrorists massacred families in their homes, killed more than 200 young people enjoying a music festival, and kidnapped elderly women, children and entire families, who are now held hostage.”
“Our countries will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people from such atrocities. We also emphasize that this is not the time when any party hostile to Israel can exploit these attacks to seek advantage. We all recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people and we support equal measures of justice and freedom for both Israelis and Palestinians. But beware: Hamas does not represent those aspirations and offers nothing to the Palestinian people other than terror and bloodshed. In the coming days we will remain united and coordinated together as allies and as mutual friends of Israel, to ensure that Israel is able to defend itself and, ultimately, to create the conditions for a peaceful and integrated Middle East region.”
US: “Aid to Israel, but we will not send troops”
The United States “has no intention of intervening on the ground” in response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing with journalists, announcing new aid to Israel “in the next days”.
For the US, Iran is complicit even though the US has no intelligence or evidence indicating direct participation in the attacks in Israel by the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas, Kirby said. “Iran has long supported Hamas and other terrorist networks across the region,” Kirby added on MSNBC. “And so in that regard, clearly, Iran is complicit here, but in terms of specific evidence about these types of attacks, no, we have nothing.”
Meanwhile, the president of the United States in a statement yesterday announced that there were 11 American victims. However, the American toll is destined to worsen, Kirby told CNN. “Yes, it’s hard to admit but it’s true. Here at the White House we are preparing for the possibility that more Americans have been killed in these terrible attacks,” she said. The Biden administration, he added, “is deeply concerned about the possibility – probable – that some of the missing Americans are Hamas hostages.”
The victims in Israel and Gaza
Meanwhile, the death toll from the Hamas attack in Israel continues to rise, reaching 900 deaths, writes Haaretz. According to the Israeli government press office, 2,600 people have been injured. At the rave attacked by Hamas in Israel alone, near the border with the Gaza Strip, 260 people died. The death toll among Palestinians also rises after Israel’s response with air strikes conducted by the armed forces on the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank in retaliation: at least 687 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October. This was announced by the Ministry of Health in the besieged coastal enclave. The ministry also said some 3,726 people were injured.