Smoke and a fireball rise after an Israeli airstrike on Gaza on Saturday Photo: AP Photo/Ilan Assayag
From BZ/dpa
According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the second phase of the war against Hamas has begun with the expansion of the Israeli military’s ground operations in the Gaza Strip.
The aim is to destroy the military capabilities and the rule of the Islamist organization and to bring the hostages home, he told journalists in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening. The emergency government made the decision to expand ground operations unanimously.
The massive air strikes of the past few weeks have dealt Hamas a “severe blow.” “However, we are only at the beginning,” emphasized Netanyahu. The war would be “difficult and protracted.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday evening at a press conference with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and former Defense Minister Benny Gantz Photo: Abir SULTAN / POOL / AFP
According to army reports, Israeli troops advanced into the north of the Gaza Strip on Saturday night. The ground troops are still on site. Infantry, armored troops, engineering corps and artillery were involved, it said. According to the military, underground targets and terrorist infrastructure will increasingly be attacked. The Israeli military had previously made isolated, time-limited advances on the ground.
Defense Minister Joav Galant emphasized at the press conference on Saturday evening that Israel had no interest in a regional expansion of the Gaza war. But the country is prepared for this. Bringing the hostages back was a complex task, he said. The more military pressure Israel exerts, the greater the chance of fulfilling this task.