With the Israeli military’s expansion of ground operations in the Gaza Strip, the second phase of the war against Hamas has begun, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The aim is to destroy the military capabilities and the rule of the Islamist organization and to bring the hostages back home, he said in Tel Aviv in the evening. The massive air strikes of the past few weeks have dealt Hamas a “severe blow.” “However, we are only at the beginning,” he emphasized. The war would be “difficult and protracted.”
According to army information, Israeli ground troops advanced into the north of the sealed-off coastal strip during the night. However, unlike limited operations of this kind on previous nights, the tank units did not initially withdraw. Infantry, armored troops, engineering corps and artillery were involved, it said. According to the military, underground targets and terrorist infrastructure will increasingly be attacked.
Number of confirmed hostages continues to rise
Netanyahu had previously met with families of hostages. According to the army, the families of 230 hostages were informed. It is expected that the number could continue to rise. According to the military, the four hostages already released by the Islamist Hamas are not included in the number. In the attacks by Hamas terrorists on October 7th, 1,400 people were killed and more than 200 people were kidnapped in Israel, including some German citizens.
Representatives of the relatives called for a prisoner exchange. Israel should consider releasing all Palestinian prisoners in exchange for all hostages. Netanyahu said an exchange was being debated. He didn’t want to give details. Disclosing the terms of such an agreement will not help make it a reality. The head of the Islamist Hamas, Jihia al-Sinwar, claimed that the Palestinian organization was ready to conclude a prisoner exchange deal immediately.
Israel’s military calls for further evacuations
The Israeli army once again urged those remaining in the north of the Gaza Strip to seek safety in the south. The “window of opportunity” is closing quickly, it was said. Aid organizations complained that the failure of almost all telephone and internet connections made it even more difficult to help victims of the war. There was talk of panic and chaos.
UN relief agency concerned
The UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA complained that it no longer had contact with the “vast majority” of its employees in the Gaza Strip. UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini described the communications outage as “another attempt to hamper the humanitarian response for civilians in the Gaza Strip.” But the aid organization will not let this discourage them.
The supply situation in the Gaza Strip was already very poor before the war began and has become even worse due to the ongoing fighting. Almost half of the 2.2 million people in the Gaza Strip are children and young people. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, more than 7,703 people have died in Israeli counterstrikes in the Palestinian territory over the past three weeks.
UN Secretary General calls for immediate ceasefire
UN Secretary-General António Guterres again called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”. Guterres said he was surprised by the “unprecedented escalation” of the bombings. He also called for the unconditional release of all hostages and the provision of aid to the people of Gaza. A humanitarian catastrophe is taking place there “before our eyes”.
Tensions between Israel and Türkiye intensified
After “harsh statements” from Turkey, Israel recalled its diplomatic representatives from Ankara. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen wrote on Platform X that his country would reassess its relations with Turkey. Ambassador Irit Lillian and other embassy employees had already left Turkey. Israel had previously also asked its citizens to leave Turkey. The background was concerns about attacks.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of “war crimes” at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Istanbul. Erdogan had previously described the Islamist Hamas as “freedom fighters”. The USA, Europe and Israel classify Hamas as a terrorist organization, but Turkey does not.
Ground operations expanded
Israel’s army spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israel was “advancing in the phases of war.” During the night, “Israeli troops advanced into the north of the Gaza Strip and expanded ground operations.” Several high-ranking commanders of the Islamist Hamas were killed. According to the military, these include a Hamas naval commander and Hamas leader Asem Abu Rakaba, who is responsible for air strikes.
More rocket attacks from Gaza on Israeli cities
Palestinian militants also again fired rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israeli cities. Warning sirens wailed several times in Israeli towns in the border area. There were also rocket alarms again in the greater Tel Aviv area, as well as in the coastal city of Ashkelon. According to police, a building was hit by a rocket in the desert town of Beersheva. Israeli media reported that rockets also hit the cities of Holon, Kiriat Ono and Ramat Gan, all suburbs of Tel Aviv – similarly in Ashdod near the Gaza Strip. Nothing was initially known about any injuries.
New fighting on Israel’s border with Lebanon
Fighting broke out again on Israel’s border with Lebanon. The Israeli army said several anti-tank missiles and mortar shells were fired at Israel from Lebanon. Israel’s military fired back and attacked military facilities belonging to the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah. There have been increasing incidents at the border since the beginning of the Gaza war. There have already been fatalities on both sides. Like Hamas, Hezbollah is allied with Israel’s arch-enemy Iran.
