Israel did not seek to conquer, occupy, or govern Gaza after the war against Hamas, but it deemed it necessary to utilize a “credible force” to enter the Palestinian enclave if necessary in order to prevent the emergence of military threats. These are the statements of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an interview with Fox News. Netanyahu also reiterated that his government is not in favor of a ceasefire in Gaza without the release of the hostages, arguing that it would mean surrendering to Hamas.
The current situation between Israel and Hamas
During the conflict, Israeli troops stormed Hamas’ military headquarters near Shifa hospital in Gaza City, demonstrating the ferocity of the ongoing battle in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad released a video featuring two Israeli hostages, an elderly woman and a child, announcing their intention to release them for humanitarian reasons.
The Israeli army tightened the siege around Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, taking control of key Hamas strongholds and conducting operations to uproot terrorist activities. Additionally, it was announced that numerous terrorists were killed during the operations.
The situation further complicated with the spread of videos of hostages in the hands of the Islamic Jihad, and violent clashes also occurred in the West Bank between Israeli troops and Palestinians.
Israel continued to be targeted by rockets launched from Gaza, and the conflict had a devastating impact on the civilian population, with a high number of casualties including many children and women.
The escalation of the conflict has led to growing concerns and calls for a ceasefire from the international community. However, Israel has insisted on the release of the hostages as a preliminary condition for any ceasefire agreement.
The situation remains highly tense and evolving, with uncertainty about the future of the region and hope that a peaceful solution can be reached as soon as possible.
Israel continued to emphasize the need to destroy Hamas to ensure the security of the region, arguing that the Palestinian faction poses a threat not only to Israel but also to stability and civilization at large.
Meanwhile, the international community has sought to mediate an end to the conflict, but so far, efforts have been hindered by a lack of agreement between the conflicting parties. Calls for a ceasefire and diplomatic negotiations have increased, but the situation remains highly unstable.
In this particular and difficult context of this ongoing conflict, the future of the region and the possibility of lasting peace remain uncertain, while the civilian population continues to suffer the devastating consequences of hostilities.