Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have killed more than 8,000 people.
New Delhi:
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that the war against Hamas in Gaza will be “long and difficult”, describing the situation as an “existential test” for Israel.
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“This is the second stage of the war whose goals are clear: destroying the military and leadership capabilities of Hamas, and bringing the hostages back home,” Netanyahu said. “The war in the (Gaza) Strip will be long and difficult and we are prepared for it.”
The United Nations said thousands more civilians could die in Gaza as Israeli ground forces continued to operate inside the Hamas-controlled territory after entering it on Friday. The UN has warned of “the possibly catastrophic consequences of large-scale ground operations in Gaza”, saying “thousands more civilians” could die.
Israel’s military reported late Saturday that at least 230 hostages, including dozens of foreigners or dual nationals, have been taken to Gaza. This week, Hamas claimed that nearly 50 of the hostages were killed in Israeli airstrikes.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar said the group is ready for an “immediate” prisoner swap with Israel. “We are ready to conduct an immediate prisoner exchange deal that includes the release of all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in exchange for all prisoners held by the Palestinian resistance,” Sinwar said in a statement.
India abstained in the UN General Assembly on a resolution that called for an immediate humanitarian truce. The UN General Assembly passed te resolution titled “Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations”, with 120 countries voting in favour, 14 against, and 45 abstaining.
The Gaza Strip, blockaded by Israel and Egypt since 2007, has seen relentless Israeli airstrikes since the October 7 Hamas attacks. The intense airstrikes have allowed Israeli ground forces to step up operations in the region. “Since early Friday evening, combined combat forces of armour, combat engineers and infantry have been operating on the ground in the northern Gaza Strip,” the Israeli army said late Saturday.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one of the leading supporters of Palestinian rights, has called Western powers “the main culprit” responsible for Israel’s “massacre” of Palestinians in Gaza. “Of course, every country has the right to defend itself. But where is the justice in this case? There is no justice — just a vicious massacre happening in Gaza,” he said.
Erdogan’s strong remarks prompted Israel to recall its diplomatic staff from Turkey. “Given the grave statements coming from Turkey, I have ordered the return of diplomatic representatives there in order to conduct a reevaluation of the relations between Israel and Turkey,” Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said in a statement.
Billionaire Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, pledged Starlink satellite internet access to internationally recognised aid organisations in Gaza, following a communication blackout yesterday. The blackout was affecting emergency calls and critical ambulance sorties, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.
The October 7 attack by Hamas killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians. In retaliation, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have killed more than 8,000 people, half of them children, the Hamas-controlled health ministry in the besieged Palestinian territory has said.
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