Israel's goals are to destroy Hamas' military capabilities and return all 240 hostages held captive in Gaza
Dozens of Palestine supporters march and rally in Union Square in Manhattan on November 22, 2023 in New York City. The group has called for a cease fire in fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza which has now left an estimated 12,000 Gazans dead following the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Pic/AFP
Israel and Hamas on Wednesday agreed to a four-day ceasefire in the war in Gaza -- a diplomatic breakthrough that will free dozens of hostages held by militants as well as Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, and bring a large influx of aid to the besieged territory. The truce raised hopes of eventually winding down the war, which was triggered by Hamas' October 7 deadly rampage into Israel. Now in its seventh week, the war has levelled vast swathes of Gaza, fuelled a surge of violence in the occupied West Bank, and stirred fears of a wider conflagration across the Middle East. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, joined by the two other members of his special war cabinet, told a nationally televised news conference that the war would resume after the truce expires. Israel's goals are to destroy Hamas' military capabilities and return all 240 hostages held captive in Gaza.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I want to be clear. The war is continuing. The war is continuing. We will continue it until we achieve all our goals," Netanyahu said, adding he had delivered the same message in a phone call to US President Joe Biden. He also said he had instructed the Mossad spy agency to hunt down Hamas' exiled leadership "wherever they are". The ceasefire efforts hit another hurdle when Israel's national security adviser said in a late-night announcement that the deal would not take effect before Friday, a day later than originally expected. Tzachi Hanegbi gave no reason for the delay, but Channel 13 TV said there were still some last-minute details being ironed out. If implemented, the deal temporarily freezes both sides at a tenuous moment.
Israeli troops hold much of northern Gaza and say they have dismantled tunnels and much of Hamas' infrastructure there. But Israeli officials acknowledge the group's infrastructure remains intact elsewhere. Netanyahu's announcement on Wednesday appeared to be aimed at public concerns that a truce will lead Israel to halt its offensive before achieving its goals. Just days before the truce, Israel said it was determined to take its ground offensive into the south. That could be potentially devastating for Gaza's uprooted population, most of which is squeezed into the south with nowhere to go to avoid the assault. Residents in Gaza City said the fighting intensified overnight into Wednesday, with gunfire, heavy artillery and airstrikes. "Apparently they want to advance before the truce," said Nasser al-Sheikh, who is sheltering with relatives in the city. Palestinian militants continued firing rockets at Israel throughout the day, without causing casualties.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
