Israel recalled tens of thousands of reservists for an expansion of its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, this Saturday of Israeli media reported.
In two words:
- Israel is preparing a new phase of its offensive in Gaza by recalling tens of thousands of reservists, according to local media.
- Netanyahu intensifies its hard line, criticizing Qatar and seeming to reject negotiations to release the hostages still retained by Hamas.
- The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to seriously deteriorate, with daily bombardments, many civilian victims and an aid blocked since early March.
Asked, the Israeli army has neither confirmed nor denied this information while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure from his extreme right supporters without which he would lose his majority, multiplies the comments go to war.
Saturday evening, he attacked Qatar, Émirat who leads with Egypt mediation for a truce with Hamas and a hostage liberation agreement held in the Gaza Strip, enjoining it to “Stop his double game and his double language“. “Israel will win this legitimate war with legitimate means“, He added, seeming to mean the end of any negotiation.
Qatar “firmly rejects incendiary declarations“de M. Netanyahu”which are contrary to the most basic rules of political and moral responsibility“, reacted to X the spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Affairs, Majed Al-Ansari.
Since Israel ended on March 18 to two months from a truce in the war launched by the unprecedented attack in Hamas on October 7, 2023, Mr. Netanyahu ensures that an increased military pressure is the only way to force the Palestinian Islamist movement to make the hostages.
On the contrary, “Any intensification of fights will place hostages […] immediate danger“, warned the forum of hostage families, Israeli organization of relatives of the captives.
“Moral priority”
“For the vast majority of Israelis, the return of hostages is the moral priority of the nation“Added the forum in a press release, deeming still possible to”achieve an agreement to save lives and prevent more human losses“.
The truce allowed the return of 33 Israeli hostages, including eight dead, in exchange for the release of around 1,800 Palestinians held by Israel. Since March 18, Israeli bombing on the Gaza Strip have been daily and the army has regained control of large sections of the territory it had evacuated. After improving during the truce, the humanitarian situation of some 2.4 million Palestinians is again catastrophic.
-
According to military correspondents of Israeli media, the army began to send mobilization orders to reservists, providing to recall tens of thousands with a view to expanding its offensive. These reservists should replace called or active soldiers across the country as well as in occupied West Bank so that they can be sent to fight in Gaza. Relatives of on -site journalists have already received their “Drive 8“(Mobilization order).
“Number 24”
According to public television, the Israeli security firm must meet on Sunday with a view to approving the widening of the offensive in Gaza. The attack on Hamas commandos in southern Israel on October 7, 2023 led to the death of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, most civilians, according to a state -based count.
Of the 251 people kidnapped that day, 58 are still retained in Gaza, 34 of which were declared dead by the Israeli army. Israel has sworn to destroy Hamas, which took power in Gaza in 2007, and launched a military reprisal campaign having devastated the Gaza Strip and left at least 52,495 dead, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Ministry of Health of Hamas for Gaza, deemed reliable by the UN.
The information on the recall of the reservists was published after the armed branch of Hamas broadcast a video in which a man elongated appears, his head and the left arm covered with bandages with brown tasks. Speaking Hebrew, he presents himself as “Prisoner number 24“But was identified as Maxim Herkin, an Israeli-Russian hostage who will be 37 years old at the end of May. His family published a press release asking the media not to broadcast the video.
Naked
On Saturday evening, a few thousand Israelis once again gathered in Tel Aviv. “”We want the hostages to come home and we do not believe that the war in Gaza, today, still has the slightest justification“Said Arona Maskil, a 64 -year -old consultant.
Before dawn, 11 Palestinians, including three young children were killed in an Israeli strike on the Khan Younès refugee camp, in the south of the Gaza Strip, according to help. The army confirmed, indicating that it has targeted “A Hamas terrorist “.
In the light of torches, rescuers and civilians searched with bare hands in the rubble to extract victims. One of them leaves by carrying the inanimate body of a very young child. Israel has submitted the Gaza Strip to a total blockade since March 2.
In the absence of entry of the slightest humanitarian aid since that date, UN officials and NGOs are increasing warnings on a risk of famine.
Conflict to the Middle East Gaza Israel Palestine
