Israel expands ground operations to the entire Gaza Strip
Following the end of the ceasefire, the fighting in the Gaza Strip continues with full force. The south in particular is moving further and further into focus. Eyewitnesses initially reported ground troops in the region. The army has since confirmed operations throughout the Palestinian territory.
A good five weeks after the start of the Israeli ground offensive in the north of the Gaza Strip, the military is extending its ground operations to the entire Palestinian territory. Army spokesman Daniel Hagari said in the evening that the soldiers were taking action against targets of the Islamist Hamas.
Earlier, eyewitnesses had reported that Israeli ground troops had also advanced into the south of the Gaza Strip. They were in an area east of the city of Chan Junis, eyewitnesses said. The reports could not initially be independently verified. The Israeli military did not comment on them when asked.
Israeli ground troops have already been deployed in the north of the Gaza Strip for weeks. According to the military, it has also been carrying out massive airstrikes in the south since the end of the ceasefire on Friday, which lasted several days. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that the war against the Islamist Hamas would continue "until the end" and until "total victory" over the terrorist organization, as reported by the Times of Israel. He made it clear that a ground operation was the only way to destroy Hamas.
Leading US politicians urged Israel to better protect civilians during the fighting. Previously, negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a new ceasefire and an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners had been broken off for the time being. Hamas then declared that it would only release hostages again when Israel ended its "aggression" and a permanent ceasefire was in place.
"Silence is complicity"
In the south, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have fled from the north are trying to avoid the shelling. According to the UN, people are living in cramped conditions. According to UN estimates, around 1.8 of the more than 2.2 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip have had to leave their homes because of the war.
During a visit to the south of the Gaza Strip, James Elder, spokesman for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), sharply criticized the Israeli attacks. A "bloodbath" was taking place there that was "immoral" and "will certainly be understood as illegal", Elder told the news channel Al-Jazeera. Anyone who accepts this is guilty themselves. "Silence is complicity," said the visibly shaken Elder.
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Source: www.ntv.de
