Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant assured on Thursday that the ceasefire in Gaza “will be short-lived” and that once it ends, fighting in the enclave will resume “with intensity” for at least another two months.
“What we will see in the coming days is first and foremost the release of the hostages. This ceasefire will be short-lived.”emphasized Yoav Gallant, during a visit to the troops of the Israeli Navy’s Shayetet 13 unit.
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a four-day ceasefire that will allow the release of 50 hostages held by Islamist militias in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners. Both cases involve women and minors.
Israeli sources confirmed to the Efe agency that for every ten additional hostages Hamas is willing to release after four days, the ceasefire could be extended for another day, up to a maximum of ten days.
“What is needed during this period is to organize, prepare, investigate, resupply weapons and prepare to continue [a combater]”Gallant asked the soldiers.
“There will be a sequel, because we must complete the victory and create momentum for the next groups of hostages, who will return only thanks to military pressure”he added.
It is estimated that Palestinian militias in Gaza have taken approximately 240 people hostage, with approximately 210 in the hands of Hamas and another 30 in the hands of Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
In total, at least 40 children have been taken hostage in Gaza, according to Israeli authorities. They received the list of 50 hostages to be handed over by Hamas on Thursday, although it was not made public as a precaution.
“Hamas will try to use the days of the agreement to spread fear, disinformation and psychological terror. The agreement is not the end of the process, but the beginning.”in turn, Israeli Army spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari emphasized.
The spokesperson assured that the troops will focus “on planning and completing preparations for the next phases of the battle.”
The four-day ceasefire agreed between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group will begin at 7 a.m. local time on Friday (5 a.m. in Lisbon).
On October 7, fighters from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) – in power in the Gaza Strip since 2007 and classified as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Israel – carried out an unprecedented attack on Israelis. since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, which has left 1,200 dead, mostly civilians, and around 5,000 injured.
In retaliation, Israel declared a war to “eradicate” Hamas, which began with cuts to food, water, electricity and fuel supplies in the Gaza Strip and daily bombing, followed by a ground offensive around Gaza City.
The war between Israel and Hamas, which entered its 48th day this Thursday and continues to threaten to spread across the Middle East, has so far left about 15,000 dead in that poor Palestinian enclave, most of them civilians, and 33,000 injured , according to the latest report from local authorities, and 1.7 million displaced, according to the UN.
Source: DN
