Situation in the Middle East - Israel wants to fight until "total victory"
As Israel's army continues its massive bombardment of the Gaza Strip and the number of civilian casualties rises sharply, the prospects of a new ceasefire have darkened.
In the early morning, the sirens were wailing again in southern Israel, according to the army. Despite increasingly urgent warnings from the US government to Israel to protect civilians in Gaza, Israel bombed a number of targets in the particularly densely populated south of the sealed-off area. There, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have fled from the north are trying to avoid the shelling in an extremely small area.
Netanyahu: Fighting until "total victory"
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 on Saturday evening that a ground operation was the only way to destroy Hamas. While ground troops are already deployed in the north, the army carried out massive air strikes in the south on Saturday. More than 50 targets were bombed in the area around the city of Chan Junis alone.
Nevertheless, 100 trucks carrying urgently needed aid supplies reached the Gaza Strip on the same day, according to aid workers. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, around 200 people have been killed in the attacks since the end of the ceasefire until Saturday. Since the start of the war on October 7, more than 15,000 people have been killed. The figures could not initially be verified independently.
USA admonishes Israel
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin urgently called on Israel to protect civilians. This was not only a moral responsibility, but also a strategic imperative, said Austin at a meeting in the state of California. US Vice President Kamala Harris was even clearer on the sidelines of the climate conference in Dubai: "Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Frankly, the level of civilian suffering and the images and videos from Gaza are devastating," she said.
But the prospect of a new ceasefire appears bleak. Hamas has said it will only continue negotiations on the release of further hostages after the end of the Gaza war. Saleh al-Aruri, a Hamas leader, said on Saturday that only men who had served in the army and soldiers were among the remaining hostages. Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant, however, said that there were still 15 women and two children among the hostages held by Hamas. Israel assumes that a total of 137 hostages are still being held in the coastal strip.
Deadlock in negotiations on ceasefire
According to Israel, the negotiations in Qatar on a renewed ceasefire are at an impasse. The head of the Israeli foreign intelligence service Mossad, David Barnea, has therefore asked his negotiating team to return to Israel, Netanyahu's office announced on Saturday.
In the evening, Great Britain announced that it would support Israel in the search for the hostages. Unarmed surveillance flights will be carried out over the eastern Mediterranean and will also operate in the airspace over Israel and Gaza," the British government announced.
Another rocket alert in Tel Aviv
Meanwhile, there was another rocket alert in the Israeli coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv. Several muffled explosions were heard in the city center. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attacks.
French President Emmanuel Macron also questioned Israel's goal of completely destroying Hamas. "The complete destruction of Hamas, what is that? Does anyone believe that is possible? If it is, the war will last ten years," said Macron in Dubai. He also criticized the continuation of the bombardment in the Gaza Strip: "The real fight against terrorism is not systematic and permanent bombing." He again called for an immediate ceasefire.
Israel wants a buffer zone on the Gaza border
Israel wants to establish a buffer zone in the border area with the Gaza Strip after the Gaza war. "Israel will need a security envelope", said Mark Regev, security advisor to the Israeli government, in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
"There will no longer be a situation where Hamas people are on the border that they can cross and kill our civilians." He did not give any details about the planned security zone. However, it is assumed that this is likely to be at the expense of the Gaza Strip.
The latest Gaza war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, committed by terrorists from the Gaza Strip on October 7 in Israel near the border. More than 1200 people were killed and around 240 hostages were taken to Gaza. Israel responded with massive air strikes, a blockade of the coastal area and began a ground offensive at the end of October.
What is important today
The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is becoming increasingly precarious. Hamas has called for worldwide solidarity demonstrations.
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- Despite the urgent warnings from the US government, led by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, to protect civilians in Gaza, Israel continued its bombardment, hitting several targets in the densely populated southern region.
- Kamala Harris, the US Vice President, expressed her concern over the high number of civilian casualties in Gaza, stating that it was "devastating" to see too many innocent Palestinians being killed.
- Emmanuel Macron, the French President, questioned Israel's goal of completely destroying Hamas, suggesting that it would be a lengthy and possibly impossible task.
- In Dubai, Harris and Macron both called for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing conflicts in the Palestinian territories, particularly in the Gaza Strip.
- Lloyd Austin urged Israel to prioritize the protection of civilians in Gaza, stating that it was a moral responsibility and a strategic imperative.
- The Israeli Defense Minister, Joav Galant, confirmed that there were still women and children among the hostages being held by Hamas, contradicting Hamas's claim that only military personnel were among the detainees.
- In response to the ongoing conflicts, Benny Gantz, Israel's alternate prime minister, called for the establishment of a buffer zone on the Gaza border to prevent Hamas militants from crossing over and attacking civilians.
- As the situation in the Middle East remained volatile, with rocket attacks continuing in Tel Aviv and Gaza, leaders from around the world, including Macron and Austin, urged for peace and a swift resolution to the ongoing conflicts.
Source: www.stern.de
