ISRAEL/GAZA: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to “fight until victory” in Gaza, indicating that there would be no break in their bombardment of the territory and an impending invasion of the enclave following Hamas’ release of two American prisoners.
On Friday, Hamas, the Islamist group governing Gaza, released Judith Tai Raanan, aged 59, and her 17-year-old daughter Natalie, who were abducted during an attack on southern Israel on October 7.
In a statement released late Friday night, Netanyahu stated, “Two of our abductees are at home. We are not giving up on the effort to return all abducted and missing people. At the same time, we’ll continue to fight until victory.”
Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, stated that the hostages were released, at least in part, due to humanitarian reasons, as a response to Qatari mediation efforts.
Israel has gathered tanks and troops near Gaza with plans for a ground invasion. Their bombardment of Gaza has resulted in the loss of over 4,137 Palestinian lives, including hundreds of children, and more than a million people have been displaced, according to Palestinian officials.
Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Defence Minister, said that achieving Israel’s objectives would not be fast or easy.
“We will topple the Hamas organisation. We will destroy its military and governing infrastructure. It’s a phase that will not be easy. It will have a price,” Gallant informed a parliamentary committee.
The subsequent phase, he said, would take longer but would have the goal of creating “a completely different security situation” in which Gaza would not pose a threat to Israel. “It’s not a day, it’s not a week, and unfortunately, it’s not a month,” he stated.
Extensive bombardment
Overnight, Palestinian media reported extensive Israeli bombardment in Gaza, which included an attack on a residence in Jabalia, northern Gaza, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 19 lives.
Israeli aircraft hit six residences in northern Gaza early on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of at least eight Palestinians and injuring 45, as reported by Palestinian media. The Israeli military has not provided an immediate comment.
Israeli forces reportedly struck the Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza City, where both Christians and Muslims had sought refuge.
Israel has previously issued evacuation orders for civilians in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, including Gaza City. However, many people have chosen to stay, citing concerns about losing their belongings and the lack of a secure place to relocate, especially since southern areas are also under attack.
When questioned about whether Israel’s actions comply with the laws of war, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated on Friday that Israel has the right to defend itself and prevent Iran-backed Hamas from launching further attacks.
“It’s important that operations be conducted in accordance with international law, humanitarian law, and the law of war,” he stated.
“There will be plenty of time to make assessments about how these operations were conducted, but I can just say that from the part of the United States, this continues to be important to us,” he further added.
The United Nations’ humanitarian affairs office has reported extensive damage in Gaza, with over 140,000 dwellings damaged and nearly 13,000 of them completely destroyed.
The global focus has centred on delivering aid to Gaza through the Rafah crossing to Egypt, which is the sole access point not under Israeli control.
Following his visit to Israel on Wednesday, President Biden stated that he believed that aid-carrying trucks would successfully reach their destination within the next 24-48 hours.
After visiting the border on Egypt’s side on Friday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged for a significant number of trucks to enter Gaza each day and checks—which Israel insists on in order to prevent supplies from reaching Hamas—to be fast and pragmatic.
Western leaders have so far primarily supported Israel’s military campaign against Hamas, although concerns are growing regarding the well-being of civilians in Gaza.
However, many Muslim-majority states have called for an immediate ceasefire, and protests demanding an end to the bombardment have taken place in cities across the Islamic world.
In the occupied West Bank, where violence has escalated since Israel initiated its attacks on Gaza, Israeli forces fatally shot a Palestinian teenager during clashes near the city of Jericho.
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