Despite criticism: Israel wants to continue war against Hamas until victory
Published: Thursday, Dec 14th 2023, 04:11
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Despite international calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to continue the war against the Islamist Hamas. "We will continue until the end, until victory, until the destruction of Hamas, even in the face of international pressure," he told soldiers on Wednesday, according to a statement from the government press office. "Nothing will stop us."
However, in view of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Israel is increasingly losing support for its war against the terrorist organization Hamas. At the UN General Assembly, more than 150 countries called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, which Israel indignantly rejected.
Pressure is even growing from the allied USA. The White House is expecting "extremely serious talks" from the National Security Advisor's visit to Israel this Thursday. Jake Sullivan wants to talk to Netanyahu and the war cabinet about the next phase of military operations in the Gaza Strip and Israel's efforts to take more precise action and reduce the damage to the civilian population.
Israel's military: Hamas uses civilians as human shields
In view of the growing criticism of the numerous civilian victims of the military offensive in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli armed forces once again accused Hamas of abusing civilians as human shields. "Our troops have found large weapons depots and tunnels in several schools. They even discovered a sniper rifle hidden in a teddy bear," said military spokeswoman Keren Hajioff. Nevertheless, the armed forces are trying to avoid civilian casualties in their operation against Hamas. "Our war is against Hamas, not the people of Gaza," said Hajioff. "But while Hamas sees every innocent death as part of its strategy, for us every innocent death is a tragedy."
Survey among Palestinians: Hamas on the rise and Abbas out
Following the massacre in Israel, which left 1,200 people dead, and the resulting war in Gaza, Hamas' standing in the West Bank rose significantly according to a survey. 44 percent of people supported Hamas, compared to only 12 percent in September, according to a survey by the Palestinian polling institute PSR, which is considered to be reputable. In the Gaza Strip, too, Hamas' reputation rose, albeit less strongly, from 38 percent to 42 percent. However, opinions differ between Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as to whether the Hamas attack on Israel more than two months ago was the right thing to do. While 82 percent in the West Bank were in favor of the attack, only 57 percent in the directly affected coastal strip were in favor.
UNRWA chief: Desperate families without food in the Gaza Strip
Because there is so little food in the Gaza Strip, chaos broke out when one of the few trucks carrying relief supplies arrived. This was reported by the head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, in Geneva on Wednesday. "The Palestinians are facing the darkest chapter in their history since 1948," he said. The state of Israel was founded in 1948. Lazzarini described the situation, saying that he had seen desperate people tearing open bags on the street to devour the little food they could get hold of.
Israel's military: Hamas fires rockets from humanitarian zone
According to the Israeli armed forces, the Islamist Hamas continues to fire rockets from the "humanitarian zone" in the Gaza Strip, which is exempt from attacks. Since the establishment of the protection zone for civilians on October 18, 116 rockets have been fired at Israel from the area around the village of Al-Mawasi on the Mediterranean coast, the military announced on Wednesday. 38 rockets hit inside the Gaza Strip. "Hamas continues to use the humanitarian zone to carry out terrorist activities, putting the lives of civilians in the Gaza Strip and Israel at risk," the military statement continued.
Rain worsens situation for displaced people in Gaza Strip
The situation for displaced people in the Gaza Strip continues to worsen due to heavy rainfall. "We are afraid for our children because of the cold and the rain, which are getting worse with the onset of winter," says Chadija al-Sharafi, who lives in the Gaza Strip. He and his family left everything behind when they fled from the northern part of the sealed-off area. Now they are exposed to the weather without sufficient clothing. According to the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), almost 1.9 million people are now internally displaced due to the war in the Gaza Strip - out of a total population of more than 2.2 million. Many people are sleeping in the open.
What will be important on Thursday
The US National Security Advisor, Sullivan, wants to consult with Netanyahu and the war cabinet, among others, on the further course of action in the Gaza war. Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) wants to visit a kibbutz. Political talks with President Izchak Herzog are planned for later in the afternoon.
©Keystone/SDA
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