ISRAEL: Israeli forces initiated ground operations against Hamas in Gaza on Sunday in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dubbed the second phase of a war that had been ongoing for three weeks with the aim of defeating the Palestinian militant group.
Gaza’s besieged citizens faced a severe blackout of communication and Internet services as Israeli warplanes dropped bombs and Israeli forces, including tanks and troops, moved into the Hamas-controlled territory. Israeli military leaders indicated their readiness for an expanded ground offensive.
During a press conference in Tel Aviv on Saturday, Netanyahu cautioned Israelis to prepare for a “long and hard” campaign, but he refrained from labelling the ongoing incursions as an invasion. Some of U.S. President Joe Biden’s advisors have reportedly recommended that Israeli counterparts refrain from an immediate full-scale assault, according to U.S. officials.
While the initial ground operations seem limited at the moment, Netanyahu vowed to do everything in his power to liberate over 200 hostages, including Americans and other foreigners, who are being held by Hamas.
“This is the second stage of the war whose goals are clear: to destroy Hamas’ governing and military capabilities and to bring the hostages home,” Netanyahu said to reporters.
“We are only at the start. We will destroy the enemy above and below ground,” he said.
Israel has intensified its blockade and conducted airstrikes in Gaza for three weeks following a devastating attack by the Islamist group Hamas on October 7. Israeli authorities have reported that it was the deadliest day in the nation’s 75-year history, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 1,400 lives.
Western nations have predominantly supported what they view as Israel’s legitimate right to self-defense. However, there has been an increasing global outcry regarding the casualties resulting from the airstrikes and a growing demand for a “humanitarian pause” to facilitate the delivery of aid to Gaza’s civilian population and alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
Medical authorities in the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million people, report that 7,650 Palestinians have lost their lives in Israel’s efforts to eliminate the Iran-backed militants.
Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the occupied West Bank while Gaza is under Hamas rule, has stated, “Our people in the Gaza Strip are facing a war of genocide and massacres committed by the Israeli occupation forces in full view of the entire world.”
In Gaza, many buildings have been reduced to rubble, and residents are struggling to find shelter, facing shortages of food, water, fuel, and essential medicines.
On Friday night, the situation got worse when the phone and internet went out, and then there was nonstop heavy bombing all night. The communication blackout continued through Sunday.
A Gaza-based journalist, who endured a terrifying night in a building stairway as bombs fell and as Israeli forces seemed to engage in confrontations with Palestinian fighters, expressed, “God, help anyone under the rubble.”
Targeting the Hamas tunnel maze
According to Israeli military reports, Israel sent troops and tanks into Gaza on Friday night with the intention of attacking infrastructure, particularly the extensive tunnel system that Hamas had built. The deployment size was not detailed.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s call for Palestinian civilians to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip, where the Israeli military was concentrating its operations against what they believed were Hamas hideouts and other installations.
However, Palestinians contend that nowhere is truly safe, as bombs have also struck homes in the southern and densely populated areas of the territory.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that a “humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in front of our eyes.” Diplomats have indicated that the U.N. Security Council is scheduled to convene on Monday to address the crisis between Israel and Gaza.
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk offered the use of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network to assist in communication for “internationally recognised aid organisations” in Gaza. In response, Israel expressed concerns that this technology could potentially be utilised for terrorist activities by Hamas.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, who met with the families of hostages on Saturday, stated that efforts to secure their release would persist even during a ground offensive, and military pressure on Hamas might contribute to their return, though he didn’t provide further details.
Negotiations mediated by Qatar between Israel and Hamas are ongoing but progressing at a slower pace compared to the period before the escalation in Gaza on Friday, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
Hamas’ armed wing stated that its fighters engaged in clashes with Israeli troops in northeastern and central Gaza. “Al-Qassam Brigades and all Palestinian resistance forces are fully prepared to confront the aggression with full force and thwart the incursions,” it stated.
The United States and other Western nations had urged Israel to refrain from launching a major ground offensive due to concerns about a higher number of Palestinian casualties and the potential escalation of the conflict. Additionally, they hoped to allow more time for hostage negotiations. However, U.S. officials emphasised that the decision ultimately rested with Israel.
Amid worries that the Israel-Hamas conflict could expand into a regional confrontation, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Israel did not seek to broaden the conflict beyond Gaza but remained prepared on all fronts.
This crisis prompted hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators to gather in cities across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia on Saturday.
Also Read: We Have Lost Contact With Our Staff, Health Workers in Gaza, Says WHO Director
