Statements by the Israeli Prime Minister and Minister of Defense about the response to the Hamas attack set off alarm bells in the international community. As the Israeli military announced that it had regained control of the locations that had fallen into the hands of the terrorist organization and continued its bombing campaign against Hamas targets, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other Israeli locations were once again targeted by missiles and rockets.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared a “full siege” on Gaza, stating: “No electricity, no food, no water, no gas, everything closed. We are fighting animals and we will act accordingly,” he told military commanders. minister who months ago rebelled against the head of government because he wanted to move forward with a judicial reform that calls into question the democratic foundations of the country.
But the moment is one of harmony and Netanyahu was not displeased when he spoke to the mayors of the towns near Gaza. “What Hamas will experience will be difficult and terrible. All places where Hamas is active will be completely destroyed. We will change the Middle East,” he proclaimed. Later, in a televised speech, the prime minister called for the formation of a national unity government “without preconditions.”
The Israeli government’s reports concerned the United Nations Secretary General, who said he was “deeply saddened” by the announced siege. “The humanitarian situation in Gaza was extremely difficult before the hostilities, but now it will deteriorate exponentially,” said António Guterres. “While I recognize Israel’s legitimate concerns for its security, I also remind you that military operations must be conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law.”
The Portuguese leader recalled that health facilities, residential areas and schools were hit by Israeli rockets in Gaza. Guterres also called on the international community to “mobilize immediate humanitarian assistance,” while again condemning Hamas’ “abject attacks.” “I recognize the legitimate grievances of the Palestinian people. But nothing can justify these terrorist acts, the killings, mutilations and kidnappings of civilians.”
The non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) classified the siege of Gaza as ‘heinous’ and called on the International Criminal Court to pay due attention to this ‘call to commit a war crime’. For Omar Shakir, HRW director for Israel and Palestine, “Depriving the population of food and electricity in an occupied territory is a form of collective punishment that is a war crime, just like using hunger as a weapon of war.” Shakir concludes: “Such actions would endanger the lives of more than 2.2 million Palestinians who have been living under Israel’s crushing and illegal blockade for more than 16 years.”
In addition to the siege, there are also concerns about the scale of the attack on Gaza. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Israel not to attack civilians “indiscriminately.” According to the Turkish presidency’s office, Erdogan said in a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog that “collectively and indiscriminately hurting the people of Gaza would further increase the suffering and spiral of violence in the region.” Erdogan also asked Palestinians to stop attacks on Israeli civilians and this supporter of the Palestinian cause asked both sides to respect “a certain ethic” of war.
According to Axios, Netanyahu, whose government called up 300,000 reservists on Sunday, was adamant in a phone call with Joe Biden: “We have to go in,” referring to Gaza. “We can’t negotiate now.”
According to Al Jazeera, Tel Aviv forces bombed tunnels in northwestern Gaza using bunker bombs. The tunnels in Gaza have been essential to bypass the blockade that Israel has imposed on the area since 2007, when Hamas came to power. But it is also in the underground network that the Islamic group has posts and stores weapons, making them a target. Its use in such a densely populated area is contrary to the Geneva Conventions, but according to Patrick Bury, a specialist in war and counter-terrorism at the University of Bath, this will not be an obstacle. “Israel has them and will use them. I don’t think they are too concerned about collateral damage at this point,” he told Al Jazeera.
The Israeli army fortified positions near the border with Lebanon, where it killed three Hezbollah militants in an airstrike.
On Monday evening, about 900 people were killed on the Israeli side, including at least 73 soldiers, while in Gaza the number of fatalities was 687. To these figures can be added the number of hostages who died in the surprise attack. did. “Any attack on our people without prior warning will be met with the execution of one of the civilian hostages,” said the Ezzeldin al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. These statements contradict statements by a Hamas member, Hossam Badran, to AFP, according to whom there are currently no conditions for prisoner exchanges with Israel. It is believed there are up to 150 Israeli hostages.
In addition to bombing Gaza, the Israeli army reinforced positions on the border with Lebanon, where it killed three Hezbollah militants in an airstrike. In turn, the Iran-backed Shiite group said it responded with rockets and mortars targeting Israeli military installations.
In another war that remained in the background in the media, the one against Ukraine, the information services of the Ministry of Defense in Kiev launched a warning of a disinformation campaign. According to these services, Russia transferred Western weapons captured on Ukrainian territory to Hamas and later accused the Ukrainian military of “selling weapons to terrorists on a regular basis.” The aim is to “discredit Ukraine in the Middle East” and among Western partners so that they cut off military aid.
Source: DN
