Motivating the demonstrations was the frustration of families of Hamas hostages who accused Netanyahu of prioritizing his political survival over securing the release of the captives….reports Asian Lite News
Protests swept across Israel over the weekend as tens of thousands of Israelis demanded the ousting of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Demonstrators converged in front of the Israel Defence Force headquarters in Tel Aviv, marking the largest protest against Netanyahu since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. Similar protests erupted in Jerusalem, Haifa, Be’er Sheva, Caesarea, and other cities, with an additional demonstration outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on Sunday. Police deployed water cannons and made 16 arrests during Saturday’s protests.
Motivating the demonstrations was the frustration of families of Hamas hostages who accused Netanyahu of prioritizing his political survival over securing the release of the captives. Shira Albag, the mother of one hostage, voiced the sentiment, stating that Israel won’t forgive anyone hindering a deal to bring back the hostages after months of waiting.
Netanyahu faced internal opposition from both the Israeli war cabinet and his own party regarding his approach to hostage negotiations. While some advisers advocated for flexibility to reach a deal, Netanyahu rejected proposals, deeming them too lenient on Hamas.
Additionally, many protesters condemned Netanyahu’s attempt to circumvent the Israeli High Court’s decision to suspend funding to ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jewish schools, thereby making students eligible for the military draft. Netanyahu aimed to extend the deadline for Haredi exemption from military service, a policy dating back to June 2023, while the government deliberates on new draft legislation. This exemption has long been a contentious issue, with most Israeli citizens required to serve in the military upon reaching 18 years of age.
On Sunday, IDF reservists staged a protest in the Haredi neighbourhood of Mea Shearim, advocating for their conscription and chanting slogans in favour of military enlistment.
The Prime Minister welcomed the members of the delegation on their arrival and thanked them for their broad support…reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Wednesday at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem with a bipartisan US Congressional delegation, organised by AIPAC, the America Israel Public Affairs Committee.
The Prime Minister welcomed the members of the delegation on their arrival and thanked them for their broad support for the State of Israel among the American public.
He also briefed them on the fighting in the Gaza Strip and answered their questions.
Netanyahu said the members of the delegation were “long-time friends of Israel” and called them “great supporters.”
“It’s very important for us to maintain bipartisan support at all times,” he told them, “but especially in these trying times. I want to use this opportunity of our conversation to try to straighten out and also dispel some of the things that are being said about our bipartisan alliance and the importance of maintaining it.”
Netanyahu also told them that Iran “officially launched, along with Hezbollah, a campaign, which means Hamas, the Houthis and so on, but the formal policy is to shift from an ideological position of destroying Israel to a practical, long-term plan to bring about the destruction of the state.”
“We have to win. There is no substitute for victory,” he added.
“Our goal is to destroy the military and governing capabilities of Hamas in Gaza,” Netanyahu told them. “Hamas has to be eliminated.”
“The second thing was to get our hostages out. They are simultaneous goals because the military action is what produces the pressure to release the hostages. We’ve released half. We intend to release all of them. The third thing is to ensure that, indeed Gaza doesn’t pose a threat to Israel again.”
The delegation included Brad Schneider (D-IL), Jim Costa (D-CA), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Valerie Foushee (D-NC), Kathy Manning (D-NC), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), Norma Torres (D-CA) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), as well as senior AIPAC officials. (ANI/TPS)
State Dept staffer quits over US’ Gaza policy
A US State Department staffer responsible for promoting human rights in regions including Gaza has resigned in protest of the continued delivery of weapons from the US to Israel.
Annelle Sheline left the State Department on Wednesday after having served for a year as a foreign affairs officer at the Office of Near Eastern Affairs in the department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, according to an editor’s note from CNN proceeding an opinion piece by Sheline in which the employee explained the reason for her resignation.
In the article published on CNN’s website, Sheline blamed the US government for offering support, both diplomatically and militarily, to “atrocities committed” by the Israeli military in the ongoing war in Gaza, and the “killing of Palestinians by armed Israeli settlers” in the West Bank. These actions by Israel “meet the crime of genocide”, she said, citing testimonies by experts on genocide.
“Unable to serve an administration that enables such atrocities, I have decided to resign from my position at the Department of State,” Sheline said.
Sheline said she had not initially planned a public resignation. “Because my time at State had been so short — I was hired on a two-year contract — I did not think I mattered enough to announce my resignation publicly. However, when I started to tell colleagues of my decision to resign, the response I heard repeatedly was, Please speak for us.”
“Across the federal government, employees like me have tried for months to influence policy, both internally and, when that failed, publicly,” she said.
“My colleagues and I watched in horror as this administration delivered thousands of precision-guided munitions, bombs, small arms and other lethal aid to Israel and authorized thousands more, even bypassing Congress to do so. We are appalled by the administration’s flagrant disregard for American laws that prohibit the U.S. from providing assistance to foreign militaries that engage in gross human rights violations or that restrict the delivery of humanitarian aid,” wrote Sheline in the article.
None of Sheline’s posts on X can be seen anymore, with a note on the page of her account saying “these posts are being protected”.
The latest episode followed the stepping down for a similar reason in October of Josh Paul, a senior State Department official in charge of overseeing foreign arms transfers, as well as the self-immolation of US airman Aaron Bushnell in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. in February.
During a press briefing at the State Department on Wednesday, Matthew Miller, the department’s spokesperson, said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken not only “has instructed his team … to make sure people have an opportunity to make their views known, but also has taken those dissenting ideas into account when making policy decisions”.
The Israeli PM also met the border guards of the Military Police Corps. He said, “We will enter Rafah and ensure total victory.”…reports Asian Lite News
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar “will be killed at any cost”.
The Israeli Prime Minister was speaking to mediapersons on Sunday night and said that “just as Haman was killed in the ancient city of Purim, Sinwar would also be killed”.
He said, “We will unite, fight and win just as we did in ancient times,” Netanyahu said.
The Israeli Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, has also earlier said that Israel has vowed to kill Yahya Sinwar, who is widely believed to be the brain behind the October 7, 2023 massacre in southern Israel.
The Israeli PM also met the border guards of the Military Police Corps. He said, “We will enter Rafah and ensure total victory.”
Jerusalem [Israel], Oct 24 (ANI): Statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, at the start of a security assessment, on Monday. (ANI Photo)
Israel PM added that that would give a huge reward to unprecedented terrorism…reports Asian Lite News
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday rejected a plan for international recognition of a Palestinian state and international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians.
After speaking with US President Joe Biden for 40 minutes and after the security cabinet meeting, he shared a post on social media X, clarifying his position regarding the recent talk of imposing a Palestinian state on Israel.
“At the cabinet meeting, I clarified my position regarding the recent talk of imposing a Palestinian state on Israel. My position is summed up in the following two sentences. Israel outright rejects international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians,” he wrote on X.
Additionally, Netanyahu said, “Such an arrangement will be reached only through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions.”
Secondly, he said, “Israel will continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.”
Israel PM added that this would give a huge reward to unprecedented terrorism.
“Such recognition in the wake of the October 7 massacre would give a huge reward to unprecedented terrorism and prevent any future peace settlement,” he stated.
Netanyahu’s comments come amid growing tension between him and US President Biden over critical issues regarding the Gaza war and the hostages, as reported by The Jerusalem Post.
Both the leaders spoke about the situation in the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, emphasizing the need for a “credible and executable plan” for ensuring the safety and support of the civilians.
In the call between the two leaders, the second time in less than a week, the US President also emphasised the need to ensure humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza and secure the release of all hostages in Hamas captivity.
Reportedly, there is rising international pressure on Israel. On February 14, the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand- all allies of the US in a joint statement called for a permanent ceasefire and urged Hamas to lay down its arms and release all hostages immediately. (ANI)
Israeli PM renewed a pledge to destroy the Palestinian movement, saying there was no alternative for Israel but bringing about the collapse of Hamas…reports Asian Lie News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday total victory in Gaza was within reach, rejecting the latest offer from Hamas for a ceasefire to ensure the return of hostages still held in the besieged enclave.
Netanyahu renewed a pledge to destroy the Palestinian movement, saying there was no alternative for Israel but bringing about the collapse of Hamas.
“The day after is the day after Hamas. All of Hamas,” he told a press conference, insisting that total victory against Hamas was the only solution to the Gaza war.
“Only total victory will allow us to restore security in Israel, both in the north and in the south.”
A senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, described Netanyahu’s remarks as “political bravado” that showed the Israeli leader’s intention to continue conflict in the region.
Another Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, said a Hamas delegation led by senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya would travel on Thursday to Cairo to pursue ceasefire talks with mediators Egypt and Qatar.
Hamas had proposed a Gaza ceasefire of four-and-a-half months, during which all hostages would go free, Israel would withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war.
The Hamas offer, the contents of which were first reported by Reuters, was a response to an earlier proposal drawn up by US and Israeli spy chiefs and delivered to Hamas last week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the offer with Netanyahu after arriving in Israel following talks with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt. Blinken later met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
Israel began its military offensive after militants from Hamas-ruled Gaza killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Gaza’s health ministry says at least 27,585 Palestinians have been confirmed killed, with thousands more feared buried under rubble. There has been only one truce so far, lasting just a week at the end of November.
Israel had previously said it would not pull its troops out of Gaza or end the war until Hamas was wiped out.
But sources close to the negotiations described Hamas as taking a new approach to its longstanding demand to end the war, proposing this as an issue to be resolved in future talks rather than a condition for the truce.
According to the offer document seen by Reuters and confirmed by sources, during the first 45-day phase all Israeli women hostages, males under 19 and the old and sick would be freed, in exchange for Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails. Israel would withdraw troops from Gaza’s populated areas.
Implementation of the second phase would not begin until the sides conclude “indirect talks over the requirements needed to end the mutual military operations and return to complete calm.”
The second phase would include the release of remaining male hostages and full Israeli withdrawal from all of Gaza. The remains of the dead would be exchanged during the third phase.
Blinken visit “makes things worse”
Washington has cast the hostage and truce deal as part of plans for a wider resolution of the Middle East conflict, ultimately leading to reconciliation between Israel and Arab neighbors and creation of a Palestinian state. Netanyahu has rejected a Palestinian state, which Saudi Arabia says is a requirement for any deal to normalize relations with Israel.
The diplomacy comes as Israel is trying to capture the main city in Gaza’s south, Khan Younis. Last week, Israel said it plans to storm Rafah, a move UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday would “exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences.”
The Israeli military said it had killed dozens of militants in fighting over the past 24 hours. It has made similar claims throughout the fighting in Khan Younis, which could not be independently verified.
In Rafah, on Gaza’s southern edge where half of the enclave’s 2.3 million people are penned against the border with Egypt, the bodies of 10 people killed by Israeli strikes overnight were laid out in a hospital morgue. At least two of the shrouded bundles were the size of small children. Relatives wept beside the dead.
Palestinian health officials say an Israeli air strike killed another three people in a house in Rafah on Wednesday. The officials added that a senior Palestinian police officer and Hamas member, Majdi Abdel-Al, was killed in an Israeli air strike on a car that was tasked to secure aid trucks in Rafah.
“Every visit from Blinken, instead of calming things down, it just makes things worse, we get more strikes, we get more bombing,” said mourner Mohammad Abundi.
Jerusalem [Israel], Oct 24 (ANI): Statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, at the start of a security assessment, on Monday. (ANI Photo)
Netanyahu sidesteps question about a meeting in Europe between his lead negotiator, and Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani…reports Asian Lite News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to confirm that new Qatar-mediated negotiations were underway to recover hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, after a source said Israel’s lead negotiator met Qatar’s prime minister.
Netanyahu sidestepped a question at a news conference about a meeting on Friday in Europe between his lead negotiator, Mossad head David Barnea, and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. However, he confirmed he had given instructions to the negotiating team.
“We have serious criticisms of Qatar, about which I suppose you will hear in due course, but right now we are trying to complete the recovery of our hostages,” he said, alluding to the gas-rich Gulf state’s ties to Hamas and Israel’s arch-foe Iran.
News of a new round of negotiations, first reported by Axios, came after Israel’s military disclosed that troops had accidentally killed three hostages who approached them with a white flag after having escaped their captors in Gaza on Friday.
Netanyahu said he would not divulge details of the talks. “There is one mistake that we can make, which is to relay our calculations to Hamas, to the world,” he said. “We shall not be getting into the details of the negotiations.”
The Gaza war, triggered by a shock Hamas killing and kidnapping spree in south Israel on Oct. 7, has shaken regional and world powers as the Palestinian civilian toll spirals.
While pledging to destroy Hamas, Israel has also sought to recover hostages held by the Iranian-backed Islamist group. Netanyahu vowed to maintain intense military pressure on Hamas in Gaza.
“The instruction I am giving the negotiating team is predicated on this pressure, without which we have nothing,” he said. Mossad chief Barnea met Al Thani in Europe on Friday, a key mediator in the conflict in Gaza, a source told Reuters, while sources from Egypt suggested Israel appeared to be more open to a new deal with Hamas.
Qatar and Egypt were mediators between Israel and Hamas in a deal that led to a week long truce at the end of November during which Hamas released more than 100 women, children and foreigners it was holding in exchange for 240 Palestinian women and teenagers freed from Israeli jails.
Axios said the Friday meeting was the first between Barnea and Al Thani since the November truce. The source who spoke to Reuters said Barnea returned to Israel early on Saturday to brief Netanyahu.
Two Egyptian security sources said Israeli officials appeared more willing, in calls with mediators, to strike a fresh deal for a Gaza ceasefire and release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the recovery of hostages.
The Egyptian sources said Israeli officials appeared to have changed their mind on some points that they had previously refused, but did not go into further detail.
There was no immediate response from Netanyahu government spokespeople to the Egyptian assessment.
Israel believes that another 20 or more of the 130 hostages still held in Gaza are dead. Families of the hostages held a rally on Saturday, demanding that Israel consider releasing senior Palestinian militants from jail in any new swap deal.
“The Israeli government needs to be active. They need to put an offer on the table, including prisoners with blood on their hands, and put the best offer on the table to get the hostages back alive,” said Ruby Chen, father of 19-year-old hostage Itay.
“We don’t want them back in bags.”
Hamas exiled leader Osama Hamdan said it would only release soldiers held captive in Gaza “until the entire aggression is stopped.” He said that would have to happen through a negotiated deal “according to the conditions set by the the resistance.”
In an apparent effort to sway Israeli public opinion, Hamas also released a video showing slain hostages and ending with the Hebrew warning: “Time is running out.”
Meanwhile, The Israeli soldiers shot and killed three hostages in Gaza who were unarmed and waving a white flag, violating Israel Defence Forces’ (IDF) rules of engagement, CNN reported, citing an IDF official.
The incident was termed a “tragic, tragic event,” and details indicate that the hostages were shirtless and came out of a building near IDF soldiers.
One IDF soldier felt that there were suicide bombers and so he opened fire, against the rules of engagement, resulting in the immediate deaths of two hostages and the third later.
The situation is complicated by intense combat in the area, with terrorists moving in civilian attire to create traps.
The hostages were identified as Yotam Haim, Samer Fouad Al-Talalka, and Alon Shimriz. An investigation is underway to examine the circumstances surrounding the killings, including a potential connection with a nearby building marked with SOS.
The three men came out of a building “tens of metres from our soldiers’ position,” the official said. At least one of the soldiers “feels threatened and opens fire. Two are killed immediately. One is wounded and runs back inside. The soldiers hear a cry for help in Hebrew and the brigade commander issues a cease-fire order but there is another burst of fire,” as reported by CNN.
Ehud Olmert said that Netanyahu and his administration were a “real danger” to Israel’s stability…reports Asian Lite News
A former prime minister of Israel said on Thursday that current premier Benjamin Netanyahu should be removed from power for being a “real danger” to the country, despite the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
Ehud Olmert told Sky News that Netanyahu and his administration were a “real danger” to Israel’s stability and he should be “thrown out” of office during an interview with the channel’s international affairs editor, Dominic Waghorn.
Speaking ahead of a ceasefire coming into effect in Gaza alongside a hostage release brokered by Qatar, scheduled to start Friday morning, Olmert said a break in hostilities could inspire widespread protests within Israel against Netanyahu.
“(The Israelis) can’t stand him, if there will be a break of a couple of days, they will change direction and move out into his home or his office and, you know, there will be demonstrations the like of which we’ve never seen in our country,” he said.
“The amount of rage, which has been built up inside the people, is just unbelievable,” he added. Olmert said Netanyahu would face serious pressure and should leave office immediately.
“As far as I’m concerned, based on my judgement of what is good for Israel or not, he should go today. He should go this minute. He should be thrown out any minute,” he said.
“He is a real danger to the stability, to the solidarity, of the Israeli society and to the ability of the Israelis to return again to a normal pace of life, which is something we need after this terrible disaster we have experienced,” he added.
Olmert said he did not shy away from expressing his opinion and added that “elder statesmen” of Israeli politics were “aware of what I think.”
He continued: “I said it time and again, at this moment and at this second, he has to leave. And I really think that Netanyahu, in the words of Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, (is) the worst leader in the history of the Jewish people.”
Aid trucks enter Gaza from Egypt after truce begins
In a breakthrough agreement, Egypt announced the daily entry of 200 trucks carrying humanitarian aid, a total of 1,30,000 litres of diesel, and four trucks of gas into the Gaza Strip during a temporary ceasefire starting at 7 am (local time) on Friday, The Times of Israel reported.
The highly anticipated deal involves the release of 50 Israeli hostages, primarily women and children, by Hamas over a four-day period, accompanied by the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners.
The hostage-and-truce agreement, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, follows the abduction of 240 people by Hamas and other terror groups on October 7 during a violent rampage in southern Israel, resulting in the death of 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The negotiations outline a four-day ceasefire, with hostages released in groups daily. The initial release, set for Friday afternoon, involves 13 women and children, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, confirmed the release but provided no details on the hostages or the route for security reasons. The first 50 hostages are expected to exit through Egypt, CNN reported.
Concurrently, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said that that 80 aid trucks carrying food, water, medical equipment, medications, and relief supplies entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Thursday.
A large aid convoy is positioned at the Egypt-Gaza border, ready to move into the strip immediately after the truce between Israel and Hamas begins, an official told CNN.
The entry of fuel was allowed in the besieged enclave on November 18, following approval by Israel’s war cabinet to facilitate regular deliveries to the besieged enclave.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said that the fuel would support desalination facilities providing water to the southern strip. The oversight of this process is led by the United States and Egypt.
The decision taken earlier allowed two fuel tankers a day to enter Gaza, providing essential support to the water and sewage systems on the verge of collapse due to a lack of electricity.
The decision was made in consultation with the Israel Defence Forces and Israel’s International Security Academy, ensuring it aligns with operational objectives and does not support Hamas, as clarified by Hanegbi.
The rationale behind the decision was framed within the context of avoiding the spread of pandemics, acknowledging the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
However, as of 6 pm Thursday, only 80 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah Crossing, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. This falls short of international agencies’ goals, with a pre-war average of 500 aid trucks entering Gaza daily. Despite the UN’s initial target of 100 trucks per day, this has been achieved only a few times since aid was permitted on October 21, The Times of Israel reported.
While the US and other international brokers advocate for over 100 daily trucks to meet the escalating need, Israel committed to allowing a minimum of 200 humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza each day during the multi-day truce with Hamas. However, the existing aid delivery mechanisms of the IDF are deemed insufficient for this required increase, as communicated by two Biden administration officials to The Times of Israel.
In addition to the aid trucks, 75,000 litres of fuel reached Gaza from Egypt on Thursday, aligning with Israel’s November 18 decision to permit two fuel trucks daily. This is intended to support food distribution, hospital generators, water and sanitation facilities, shelters, and other critical services, according to UNOCHA.
The fuel situation has been a key focus of recent discussions, including those with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv earlier this month. The move to allow fuel deliveries comes after weeks of pressure from the US, CNN reported. (ANI)
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for Netanyahu’s resignation, emphasising the loss of public trust….reports Asian Lite News
In the midst of escalating pressure to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a multifaceted battle. Families and supporters of the nearly 240 hostages marched from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, demanding government action and expressing frustration at the limited meetings with Netanyahu, CNN reported.
Gil Dickmann, a relative of one of the abductees, urged the Prime Minister to prioritise the hostages’ safe return, saying, “Right now, in Netanyahu’s current political situation, this could be a real victory for the state of Israel.”
As Israel’s war in Gaza extends beyond six weeks, public opinion is turning against Netanyahu. Despite widespread support for the military campaign against Hamas, polls indicate a decline in favour of the Prime Minister and his coalition.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for Netanyahu’s resignation, emphasising the loss of public trust. However, he stopped short of calling for new elections, suggesting that Likud should present an alternative leader.
“We cannot allow ourselves to have a prime minister who has lost the public’s trust, whether from a social or a security point of view,” Lapid told Israel’s Channel 12, according to CNN.
Efforts to reach an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages have faced challenges. Negotiations involve contentious issues such as the duration of a potential pause, the number of hostages to be released, and Hamas’ demand for an end to Israeli drone surveillance over Gaza. The Israeli government’s attempts to ease conditions for Gaza’s civilian population have drawn criticism from within Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticised the decision to allow fuel tankers into Gaza, claiming it contradicted the views of the governing cabinet. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir argued against providing “humanitarian gifts” to the enemy while hostages remained unvisited by the Red Cross. Some families advocate for an “everyone for everyone deal,” proposing an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
The families leading the campaign have tried to remain apolitical, but many blame Netanyahu for failing to anticipate the October 7 attack by Hamas. They accuse him of prioritising judicial reform over security preparations, considering the breach of Israel’s security contract with voters. Despite the tragic outcome for some, there remains hope among the families for the return of their loved ones.
Criticism of Netanyahu’s perceived lack of empathy and failure to take responsibility for security lapses has grown. Accused of spending more time with troops for photo opportunities than addressing past failures, Netanyahu faced backlash for blaming security chiefs for not warning him about the impending attack.
While expressing support for the security heads, he refused to answer questions about taking responsibility for the October 7 security failures. Many, like Asher Elyahol, one among the those marching on Saturday, express a desire for change, hoping for a new government once the war concludes and hostages are returned, CNN reported. (ANI)
Netanyahu, when pressed on accountability for the October 7 attack on Israel, he such “difficult” questions until the conclusion of the ongoing war….reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday emphasised Israel’s commitment to a protracted conflict with Hamas, declaring it a “war to the end,” CNN reported.
Speaking to soldiers of Israel’s Caracal Battalion during a visit, Netanyahu clarified that this was not merely an ‘operation’ or a ’round,’ but a sustained effort to eliminate the threat posed by the militant group. “This is neither an ‘operation’ nor a ’round’ but a war to the end. It is important to me that you know this. This is not lip service, but from the heart and mind. If we do not finish them, it will come back,” the Israeli PM said.
Netanyahu, when pressed on accountability for the October 7 attack on Israel, he such “difficult” questions until the conclusion of the ongoing war. In an interview with CNN, he acknowledged the need to address accountability but emphasised the immediate necessity of uniting the country to achieve victory over Hamas.
“We’re going to answer all these questions,” the prime minister said, adding that “right now, I think what we have to do is unite the country for one purpose: to achieve victory.”
Meanwhile, a circulating image on social media revealed troops of the IDF’s Golani Brigade inside Gaza’s parliament building in Gaza City after its capture. The Palestinian Legislative Council building, which has been under Hamas’s control since 2007, saw Israeli forces gain control, The Times of Israel reported.
The Israeli military also reported on Monday that it had targeted a group of Hamas fighters “embedded” among civilians at Gaza’s Al-Quds Hospital.
“During operations carried out by the 188th Brigade, RPG fire and small arms fire were directed at the soldiers from the direction of the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City,” the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
“The shooting was carried out by a terrorist squad that had embedded itself within a group of civilians at the entrance of the hospital,” it added.
According to the IDF, the fighters fired upon Israeli troops from the hospital entrance, leading to an exchange of fire that resulted in approximately 21 militants being killed.
On the Palestinian side, the Health Ministry in the occupied West Bank provided updated casualty figures for Gaza. It was reported that since October 7, Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of 11,180 Palestinians, including 4,609 children and 3,100 women. Injuries from the assaults have affected 28,200 individuals.
Fifteen patients, including six newborns, have died at Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza due to power outages and a shortage of medical supplies. The Hamas-run health ministry also noted the loss of 202 healthcare workers and the disabling of 53 ambulances.
The Ministry of Health in Ramallah, drawing data from medical sources in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, expressed challenges in updating daily reports on the death toll, citing Israeli attacks on hospitals as the cause of the disruption.
The Ministry of Health in Ramallah draws data from medical sources in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, CNN reported. (ANI)
The Missing Families Forum said the night when troops moved into northern Gaza had been “the worst” so far….reports Asian Lite News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met families of Israelis held hostage by Hamas, who have expressed concern about the intensifying attacks on Gaza.
The Missing Families Forum said the night when troops moved into northern Gaza had been “the worst” so far.
It complained that no-one had explained “whether the ground operation endangers the well-being of the 229 hostages”. Netanyahu has promised to do everything possible to bring them home.
Ahead of the meeting, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said their relatives “are anxious about the fate of their loved ones and are waiting for an explanation” of the Israeli military’s actions.
In response to the statement, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said he would meet representatives of the group on Sunday. During the meeting, Netanyahu said that recovering the hostages was an “integral” part of the military’s goals.
“Pressure is key. The greater the pressure the greater the chances,” he said. The hostages were taken by Hamas gunmen during an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October in which 1,400 people were killed.
After the meeting, Hamas said Israel would have to release all Palestinian prisoners to secure freedom for the hostages. Netanyahu said the idea of a swap deal involving hostages for prisoners had been discussed within the Israeli war cabinet but declined to give details.
At a separate news conference, Mr Gallant said Hamas had to be forced to the negotiating table but it was “very complex”. “The more military pressure, the more firepower and the more we strike Hamas – the greater our chances are to bring it to a place where it will agree to a solution that will allow the return of your loved ones,” Gallant told a news conference.
Those in captivity in Gaza include dozens of children and elderly people, as well as military personnel. At least 135 are foreign or dual nationals, including 54 Thais, 15 Argentines and two Britons, according to the Israeli government.
Hamas – which is designated as a terrorist group by Israel, the UK and other powers – has so far released four hostages following mediation by Qatar and Egypt. Two elderly Israeli women were freed on Monday, while an American-Israeli woman and her daughter were freed on 20 October.
There had been speculation before Friday night’s ground operation that Qatar-brokered negotiations over another release deal were accelerating.
But Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Saturday that there was “a deliberate desire of parties with interests, led by Hamas, to make cynical exploitation, psychological terrorism, and to influence our population which is in such a sensitive situation”.
“Most importantly, when we have the information, we will provide it,” he added. “Returning the hostages home is a supreme national effort. And all our activities, operational, intelligence, are aimed at realizing a goal.”
Released hostage Yocheved Lifschitz, an 85-year-old grandmother who was kidnapped alongside her husband Oded from Kibbutz Nir Oz, told reporters in Tel Aviv on Tuesday that she “went through hell”. She described being hit by sticks on the journey to Gaza and being taken into a huge network of underground tunnels that “looked like a spider’s web”.
Lifschitz also said that most of the hostages were being “treated well”. On Thursday, the spokesman for Hamas’s military wing, Abu Ubaida, said around 50 hostages had been killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza.
