Israel continues military offensive amid announcement of months of fighting
US President Joe Biden called on Israel on Thursday to do more to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip. "I want them to focus on how to save civilian lives," said Biden. Israel should "not stop" taking action against the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas, "but be more careful".
Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who was expected in Ramallah in the West Bank on Friday, had met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Joav Gallant in Tel Aviv on Thursday. Gallant said that the war against Hamas would last "more than a few months". "Hamas is a terrorist organization that has built itself up over a decade to fight Israel." In the end, however, Israel will win and destroy Hamas.
White House National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby said in Washington that this timeframe was consistent with what Israel had previously said.
An Israeli army spokesman said there would be "more tough battles in the coming days". According to the Israeli Defense Forces, 117 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ground offensive in Gaza began. The army also announced on Friday morning that it had recovered the body of a French-Israeli hostage abducted by Hamas on October 7. The body of Elya Toledano had been brought back to Israel.
The war between Israel and Hamas was triggered on 7 October by the unprecedented attack on Israel by the Islamist Palestinian organization. Fighters from Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the USA and the EU, had invaded Israeli towns and villages and committed atrocities against civilians. According to Israeli reports, around 1,200 people were killed and around 240 people were taken hostage.
In response, the Israeli army began bombing targets in the Gaza Strip and launched a ground offensive. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, more than 18,780 people have been killed so far.
Recently, the pressure on Israel to show more consideration for civilians in its actions in the Gaza Strip has increased. The USA - one of Israel's most important allies - is campaigning for a lower intensity of attacks.
According to Kirby, security advisor Sullivan spoke "about a possible transition from what we would call high-intensity operations (...) to lower-intensity operations at some point in the near future". However, Kirby would not commit to a specific date.
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- Jake Sullivan, the US President's National Security Advisor, had previously met with both Benjamin Netanyahu and Joav Gallant in Tel Aviv, urging Israel to be more cautious during its military offensive against Hamas in Gaza.
- In his meeting with Israeli officials, Sullivan discussed potential shifts from high-intensity operations to lower-intensity operations, albeit without providing a specific timeline.
- President Joe Biden had earlier called on Israel to take actions to protect civilians in Gaza, stating that Israel should continue its fight against Hamas but with a greater focus on minimizing civilian casualties.
- weeks have passed since the conflict between Israel and Hamas escalated, with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, stating that the war against Hamas would extend "beyond a few months."
- The Israeli Defense Forces have reported over 117 casualties among their ranks since the commencement of the ground offensive in Gaza, with the recovery of the body of French-Israeli hostage Abdu Elya Toledano marking a significant development.
- The war between Israel and Hamas commenced in early October following unprecedented attacks by the Islamist Palestinian organization, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people.
- Israel consistently classifies Hamas as a terrorist organization, and US President Biden shares this view, expressing solidarity with Israel's right to defend itself amidst ongoing violence.
- The USA, a close ally of Israel, has exerted pressure on the Israeli government to lessen the intensity of its military operations, advocating for the protection of innocent lives in the midst of the ongoing conflict.
- Despite international critics urging Israel to show more restraint towards civilians in Gaza, Joav Gallant, the Israeli Defense Minister, insisted that Hamas, established to fight Israel, had amassed its power over a decade for this very purpose.
- The fighting between Israel and Hamas has caused significant devastation in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of over 18,780 people, as reported by the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, although the veracity of this number cannot be independently confirmed.
Source: www.stern.de
