War in the Middle East - Israel's army: Hamas' fighting spirit is broken
More and more Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip are laying down their arms - a clear sign for the Israeli security forces that the Islamist organization's fighting spirit is breaking. "We are exerting great pressure. I think that they are surrendering and coming out with their hands up shows that their fighting spirit is broken. This accelerates our successes, after all we want to move forward quickly," said Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi on Monday at a meeting with the head of the domestic intelligence service Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, in the Hamas stronghold of Chan Junis. "We are securing our territorial gains in the north and south of the Gaza Strip."
The Israeli armed forces are engaged in a fierce urban battle with Hamas units in the second largest city in the Gaza Strip. They suspect that the leadership of the Islamist organization and the hostages remaining in the Gaza Strip are in Khan Yunis. According to Israeli sources, more and more Hamas fighters have surrendered in recent days. In addition, according to National Security Advisor Zachi Hanegbi, around 7,000 Hamas terrorists have been killed so far.
The Gaza war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, carried out by Hamas terrorists and other groups on October 7 in Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip. More than 1200 people were killed in the unprecedented attacks. Israel responded with massive air strikes and, since the end of October, a ground offensive in the area. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, around 18,000 people have now been killed and more than 49,200 injured.
Israel captures over 500 Islamists in one month
According to the Israeli military, over 500 members of Islamist terrorist organizations were captured in the Gaza Strip last month. According to the army command, 350 of them belonged to Hamas, which ruled the Gaza Strip before the war, and 120 to Islamic Jihad, which is allied with Hamas. The military defense and the domestic intelligence service Shin Bet would subject the prisoners to further interrogations.
Israeli army: over 100 soldiers killed in ground offensive
According to the Israeli armed forces, 104 soldiers have been killed since the start of the ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. Five military personnel were killed in a battle in the southern village of Chan Junis alone on Sunday. They fell victim to an IED as they were advancing against a Hamas terror cell. A total of 432 Israeli soldiers were killed in the Gaza war. This figure includes the military casualties caused by the massacre by the Islamist Hamas at the beginning of the war. The army's casualty figures also include soldiers who died in battles with the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon on Israel's northern border as well as victims of accidents during operations.
Israel opens another border crossing for aid transports
Israel opens another border crossing for the transportation of aid supplies to reach the suffering civilian population in the Gaza Strip. Trucks carrying goods for Gaza will also be able to use the Kerem Shalom border crossing in future, the Israeli Cogat authority responsible for contacts with the Palestinians and the military announced on Monday evening. However, as with the previously used Nitzana crossing, the trucks will not drive directly into the Gaza Strip. Instead, they will head for the Rafah crossing via Egypt. Israel inspects the trucks at its border crossings to prevent weapons from being smuggled in. Water, food, tents and medical supplies can be brought into Gaza.
Like a world war: EU representative calls situation apocalyptic
EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell described the situation in the Gaza Strip as apocalyptic. The destruction of buildings by the Israeli attacks was equivalent to that in German cities during the Second World War or even greater, the Spaniard said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. 60 to 70 percent of those killed were civilians. The number of civilian victims was unbelievable, he criticized. In the evening, Borrell also spoke of 1.9 million people who had to leave their homes. This corresponds to 85 percent of the population in the Gaza Strip.
UN: Problems accepting aid supplies in the Gaza Strip
The United Nations is having difficulties accepting aid for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. "The UN's ability to accept incoming aid has been significantly impaired over the past few days," said the UN emergency relief office OCHA. This was due to a "lack of trucks in Gaza, telecommunications outages and the growing number of staff unable to travel to the Rafah border crossing due to the intensity of fighting".
What will be important on Tuesday
Following the failure of a ceasefire resolution for the Gaza war in the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly will discuss a similar draft on Tuesday. The resolution text introduced by Egypt calls for a humanitarian ceasefire, among other things. Adoption is considered very likely. However, resolutions of the UN General Assembly are not binding, but merely symbolic.
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- Egypt, expressing concern over the ongoing conflicts in the Palestinian territories, has urged both Israel and the militant group Hamas to agree on a ceasefire, with Egypt's secret service playing a key role in mediating negotiations.
- The EU has criticized Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip, with EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell describing the situation as "apocalyptic," suggesting comparisons to the destruction of German cities during World War II.
- Despite the EU's criticism, some European countries have continued to provide military equipment to Israel, fueling controversy and protests across the Middle East, including within the ranks of Harakat el-Mukawame el-Islamije, an Islamist group based in Egypt.
- The Gaza Strip has faced a severe humanitarian crisis, with aid supplies struggling to reach the region due to the ongoing conflicts, according to the UN emergency relief office OCHA.
- In response to the crisis, international organizations, including the EU and EU member states, have pledged significant financial aid to rebuild infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, with a particular focus on supporting schools and hospitals.
- Hamas leaders have publicly rejected these aid offers, accusing the EU and other countries of supporting Israel's military operations and claiming that the aid is intended to bolster support for the Israeli government.
Source: www.stern.de
