Intense combat in Gaza Strip expected to wind down soon, according to Netanyahu.
Since early October, Israel's military has been cracking down on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. As per President Netanyahu, the high-intensity fighting with Hamas in the Gaza Strip is about to wrap up. Yet, it doesn't imply "the war will be over soon."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the intense phase of their military operation against the radical Islamic group Hamas in the Gaza Strip will be wrapping up soon. In an interview with Channel 14, he shared, "The intense fighting against Hamas in the Gaza Strip is near its end."
This doesn't necessarily mean "the war will end soon." The war will end only when Hamas relinquishes control over the Gaza Strip. Ending the heavy combat in the Gaza Strip will enable Israel to station more military personnel along its border with Lebanon. This is primarily for defense purposes, but also to help resettle the refugees who have fled, Netanyahu added. Israel had evacuated several cities in the region due to heightened clashes with the Hezbollah militia backed by Iran.
Netanyahu stated that he wouldn't support an agreement that brings an end to the war in the Gaza Strip. However, he is open to a "partial agreement" involving the release of hostages detained in the Gaza Strip. "Our goal is to secure the release of the abducted and to dismantle the Hamas regime in Gaza," the Israeli leader commented. Netanyahu confirmed his opposition to the Palestinian Autonomy Authority, headquartered in the West Bank, taking charge of the Gaza Strip instead of Hamas.
US representatives have expressed reservations about Israel's objective of wiping out Hamas entirely. Israeli Army spokesman Daniel Hagari also shared similar reservations, referring to Hamas as an "ideology" that cannot be "eradicated" on Wednesday.
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The ongoing Israel war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip has seen Israel's military targeting Hamas positions in the strip since October. Despite President Netanyahu's declaration of a potential end to the high-intensity fighting with Hamas, it's crucial to note that the eradication of Hamas as an ideology or the relinquishment of control over the Gaza Strip by Hamas are not on the horizon.
