Israel operating in Gaza City, US says occupation 'not good'
After splitting the Gaza Strip into two parts, Israel said on Tuesday that its forces were operating in the heart of Gaza City as the war entered its second month. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, "Gaza is the largest terrorist base ever built," while reiterating their determination to exterminate Hamas. Meanwhile, the United States said Israel reoccupying Gaza "is not good" for Israelis.
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Netanyahu said once the war is over, Israel will govern Gaza indefinitely to prevent Hamas terror. Pro-Palestinian voices said capturing Gaza was Israel's plan all along, and the Palestinian enclave has been split at the point defining the territorial waters of north and south Gaza. Israel is trying to push Gazans southward since the north has access to all offshore gas and oil fields.
Netanyahu warns Hezbollah against joining war
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hezbollah against joining the war to support Hamas, saying, "It will be making the mistake of its life." He has repeatedly rejected calls for a ceasefire but may consider humanitarian pauses to allow aid delivery or hostage release. Unverified reports said Israel bombed an Egyptian truck carrying water to Gaza, which is low on essential supplies.
8 lakh people moved southward: IDF
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said 8 lakh people had moved to south Gaza, adding that it destroyed several Hamas centers and rocket launching pads. Israeli shelling in al Shujaiya neighborhood in east Gaza killed many civilians, including children, the Palestinian health ministry said, accusing Israel of a massacre. Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed over 10,300 people, including nearly 4,200 children.
Doctors Without Borders team member, family killed in Israeli shelling
Doctors Without Borders reported on Wednesday that an Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed one of its team members along with several family members in the Shati refugee camp. The IDF reportedly launched flares near Al-Shifa Hospital and bombed the vicinity of the Indonesian Hospital.
Israel occupied Gaza from 1967 to 2005
To recall, Hamas came to power in Gaza in 2007, after Israel withdrew from the besieged territory, which it had captured since 1967, in 2005. While it says its aim is to destroy Hamas and rescue the 240 hostages, it has been bombing Gaza's residential areas and civilian infrastructure indiscriminately, the United Nations (UN) said while calling for a ceasefire.
