Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi warned that the war in the Gaza Strip will last “many months to come”, at a time when operations will be expanded in the center and south of the territory, after an initial phase of concentration in the north. “There are no magic solutions, there are no shortcuts to dismantling a terrorist organization, only determined and persistent struggle,” he said after visiting the enclave, stressing that the Israeli forces are “very determined.” “We will catch up with Hamas’s leadership, whether it takes a week or months,” he added, despite international calls for a ceasefire.
Following Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, which Tel Aviv said killed more than 1,200 people, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government responded with a declaration of war and immediately began bombing the Gaza Strip. The ground operation followed from October 27, aimed not only at destroying Hamas, but also at freeing the approximately 240 hostages kidnapped on the day of the attack.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health (controlled by Hamas), nearly 21,000 Palestinians have been killed and another 55,000 injured since October 7. A seven-day ceasefire that ended on December 1 allowed the release of a hundred hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Since then, there has been pressure for a further lull in the fighting, which has already forced thousands to flee south, where they face hunger and the risk of disease. 161 soldiers have already been killed on the Israeli side, three of them this Tuesday.
“The IDF [sigla em inglês das Forças de Defesa de Israel] are close to completing the dismantling of Hamas battalions in the north of the Gaza Strip,” Halevi said, after visiting troops in the Palestinian enclave. “Now we are focusing our efforts on the south of the Gaza Strip, Khan Younis, the fields in the center and beyond. And we will continue to preserve and deepen the gains made in the north,” the Chief of Staff said, reiterating that it is still possible to find militants of the terrorist group in this region and that the mission has not been completed.
The United Nations expressed “grave concern” over the bombings in the central area of Gaza, which have killed more than 100 Palestinians since Christmas Eve. “Israeli forces must take all measures to protect civilians. Warnings and orders to withdraw do not absolve them of all obligations under international humanitarian law,” UN Human Rights Office spokesman Seif Magango said, as quoted by Reuters.
A wake-up call that Israel must ignore, with its head of diplomacy, Eli Cohen, announcing on Monday that his country is no longer “silent in the face of UN hypocrisy.” Israel accuses the United Nations of “collaborating with the propaganda of the terrorist organization Hamas,” pointing the finger not only at Secretary General António Guterres, but also at other organizations. The Israelis no longer automatically grant visas to U.N. officials, saying they assess requests on a case-by-case basis.
The United Nations has since appointed the outgoing Dutch government’s deputy prime minister and finance chief, Sigrid Kaag, as humanitarian coordinator for Gaza. The appointment comes after the United Nations Security Council voted last week to approve (with the US and Russia abstaining) a resolution providing for an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza. Kaag, a diplomat who started working at the UN in 1994 and was special coordinator for Lebanon between 2015 and 2017, will start work on January 8.
Explosion near the embassy
An alleged explosion near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi, India, caused no injuries and the case is under investigation by authorities. Israeli diplomatic missions around the world are on alert due to the increase in anti-Semitism since the start of the war in Gaza.
According to Indian newspapers, police found an “insulting” letter addressed to the “ambassador” at the scene where they had been summoned due to an “explosion”. This was heard by several employees, but it was not clear whether there was an explosive device on site.
Israel’s National Security Council has since issued a warning to all Israelis living in India, especially New Delhi, to exercise caution following the incident. The advice includes avoiding crowded places, such as markets, as well as others associated with Jews and Israelis, and avoiding the use of symbols that identify them.
Source: DN
