The visit took place on the third day of a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas, which includes the entry of desperately needed aid to Gaza and the release of about 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners…reports Asian Lite News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured a tunnel in the besieged Gaza Strip and vowed to “eliminate” Hamas.
“We are here in the (Gaza) Strip,” Netanyahu was seen saying on Sunday in a video footage released by his office, wearing an army vest and helmet.
His office said he received a briefing from commanders and toured an underground tunnel belonging to Hamas that was exposed during the war, Xinhua news agency reported.
Netanyahu stated that Israel’s goals for the attack, launched on October 7 following Hamas’ deadly surprise attack, are to “eliminate” Hamas, release about 240 hostages kidnapped by Hamas, and “ensure that Gaza will not pose a threat to Israel again.”
“We are continuing until the end — until victory. And nothing will stop us,” he said, surrounded by soldiers.
He added, “We are making every effort to bring our hostages back home, and eventually, we will.”
The visit took place on the third day of a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas, which includes the entry of desperately needed aid to Gaza and the release of about 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners.
The weeks of Israeli bombardment in Gaza have reportedly led to the deaths of over 14,000 people, 40 per cent of them children, while thousands remain missing, believed to be trapped beneath the rubble, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
According to Israeli figures, about 1,200 people were killed, mainly in the initial attack that triggered the war.
Jerusalem, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a televised press conference at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem, Dec. 22, 2020. (Yonatan Sindel/JINI via Xinhua)
Israel’s war cabinet met on Tuesday evening, followed by the convening of the security cabinet and government…reports Asian Lite News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed hope that a deal to free hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip would be finalised “soon” and called for special cabinet meetings in response to “developments” related to the emerging deal.
“We are making progress,” Netanyahu said on Tuesday, addressing the Qatar-mediated efforts to sign a deal to free some of the hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a multi-day temporary cease-fire.
“I hope there will be good news soon,” he added during a tour near the Israel-Lebanon border, Xinhua news agency reported.
Israel’s war cabinet met on Tuesday evening, followed by the convening of the security cabinet and government.
The Prime Minister’s office announced in a press statement that these special meetings are being called “in light of developments regarding the release of our hostages”.
As part of the regular procedure in Israel, any potential swap deal that includes the release of Palestinian prisoners needs to be brought for a vote in both the security cabinet and the government.
Earlier on Tuesday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the group’s officials are “close to reaching a truce agreement” with Israel and that Hamas has delivered its response to Qatar, according to a report by Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news.
According to Kan, the deal would include the release of about 50 civilian hostages held by Hamas in exchange for the release of female and teen Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons, as well as a several-day pause in fighting.
About 240 hostages, comprising civilians, soldiers, children, women and the elderly of various nationalities, were taken to Gaza by Hamas militants in their surprise raids on October 7. About 1,200 people were killed in the attack, mostly civilians. Since the massive offensive launched by Israel on the very same day, at least 13,000 have been killed in the Gaza Strip, primarily civilians, according to the government media office in the besieged enclave.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.(photo:@IsraeliPM)
Macron also condemned violence against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, the statement said. More than 200 Palestinians have been killed there since Israel began its war in Gaza…reports Asian Lite News
French President Emmanuel Macron has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu there were “too many civilian losses” in Israel’s war in Gaza, as Paris readied more humanitarian aid for the besieged enclave.
Israel has said it wants to destroy the Palestinian armed group after it killed about 1,200 people and took hundreds more captive in a surprise assault on October 7.
More than 13,000 people in Gaza, some 70 percent of them women and children according to the United Nations, have been killed in the air and land offensive. Hospitals, schools and refugee settlements have also come under sustained attack.
According to a statement from Macron’s office on Sunday, the French president reminded Netanyahu of the “absolute necessity to distinguish terrorists from the population” and “the importance of achieving an immediate humanitarian truce leading to a ceasefire”.
Macron also condemned violence against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, the statement said. More than 200 Palestinians have been killed there since Israel began its war in Gaza.
The French leader told Netanyahu about his “great concern over the escalation in violence against Palestinian civilians” in the occupied West Bank and called for calm.
Macron also spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is from the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank.
He told Abbas of “the need for the Palestinian Authority and all countries in the region to unequivocally and with the greatest firmness condemn the terrorist attack carried out by Hamas in Israel on October 7”.
Earlier on Sunday, Macron announced new humanitarian assistance for Gaza where there are growing fears of starvation.
The president said France would send an aircraft with more than 10 tonnes of medical supplies at the start of the week, and will contribute to European Union medical aid flights on November 23 and 30.
It is also preparing a second hospital ship, the helicopter carrier Dixmude, which will arrive in Egypt in the coming days.
The French helicopter carrier – the Tonnerre, which has about 60 beds and two operating theatres – has already been deployed to the region.
The statement added that “France is mobilising all its available means to contribute to the evacuation of wounded and sick children requiring emergency care from the Gaza Strip to its hospitals”.
Macron said later on X, formerly Twitter, that up to 50 children could be flown for treatment in hospitals in France “if useful and necessary”. Earlier this month, French planes delivered 54 tonnes of aid for Gaza via Egypt.
The IDF encircled Gaza and split the territory into two, cutting off the north from the south in a strategic military maneuver….reports Asian Lite News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday reaffirmed his commitment not to yield to global pressures for a ceasefire, including from its trusted ally US, as the IDF is nearing its goal shortly of capturing Gaza and assuming responsibility for its administration.
The IDF encircled Gaza and split the territory into two, cutting off the north from the south in a strategic military maneuver.
Netanyahu said that Israel will have to oversee “security responsibility” in Gaza “for an indefinite period” to make sure Hamas cannot carry out large-scale terrorism acts again.
“There would be no ceasefire in Gaza without the release of our hostages,” he told ABC News’ ‘World News Tonight’.
On a humanitarian pause if hostages are released, Netanyahu said, “There’ll be a ceasefire for that purpose. We’re waiting for that to happen. It hasn’t happened so far.”
On future governance of Gaza if and when the war is over, Netanyahu said, “Those who don’t want to continue the way of Hamas?”
Hamas militants currently hold about 240 hostages after their attack on October 7.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) took control of a Hamas military stronghold in the northern Gaza Strip, the military said in a daily Telegram update covering the events of the previous day.
Anti-tank missiles and launchers, weapons and intelligence materials were located on the site of the compound, the IDF said.
Meanwhile, more than 100 foreign nationals left Gaza and entered Egypt via the Rafah border crossing on Tuesday, according to an Egyptian border official cited by CNN.
The total number of foreign passport holders who have left war-torn Gaza so far is 114, the official said, with an additional four wounded Palestinians allowed into Egypt for medical treatment.
At least 30 more injured Palestinians are set to enter the country on Tuesday, the official added.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has said that it will set up a field hospital with a 150-bed capacity in the Gaza Strip to deliver essential medical treatment to Palestinian people, the country’s state-run news agency said late on Monday.
Five aircraft carrying supplies and equipment for the medical facility have departed from Abu Dhabi and will unload their cargo at the al-Arish airport in Egypt, for where it will be transported to the Gaza Strip — likely by truck, through the Rafah crossing.
The UAE previously announced $20 million of urgent aid to the Palestinian people and an initiative to bring approximately 1,000 Palestinian children from the Gaza Strip, alongside their families, for medical treatment in the UAE.
Abu Dhabi has historically supported the cause of the Palestinian people, but notably normalised relations with Israel in 2020 through the US-brokered Abraham Accords.
According to the Israeli authorities, the Hamas is holding 240 people as hotages in Gaza, including Israelis and foreign nationals…reports Asian Lite News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that there will be no ceasefire in Gaza until the Hamas militant group releases all the hostages it took captive after launching the unprecented attack on October 7.
When asked about temporary “humanitarian” pauses in the fighting as suggested by US President Joe Biden and top administration officials, the Prime Minister told ABC News on Monday: “Well, there’ll be no ceasefire, general ceasefire, in Gaza without the release of our hostages. As far as tactical little pauses, an hour here, an hour there.
” We’ve had them before, I suppose, will check the circumstances in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages to leave. But I don’t think there’s going to be a general ceasefire.”
According to the Israeli authorities, the Hamas is holding 240 people as hotages in Gaza, including Israelis and foreign nationals.
Media reports have indicated that about 30 of the them are children.
So far, the militant group released four civilian hostages, while afemale Israeli soldier was rescued by the country’s forces.
Hamas has however, claimed that 57 of the hostages were killed in the the Israeli airstrikes.
Netanyahu went on to say that a ceasefire “will hamper the war effort”.
“It’ll hamper our effort to get our hostages out because the only thing that works on these criminals in Hamas is the military pressure that we’re exerting.”
When he was asked about a probable halt in the fighting if Hamas agreed to release the hostages, the Israeli leader told ABC News: “There will be a ceasefire for that purpose.”
When Netanyahu was asked who will govern the enclave once and when the raging fighting ends, he indicated that he believed Israel will have a role to play for an “indefinite period”.
“Those who don’t want to continue the way of Hamas… It certainly is not — I think Israel will, for an indefinite period will have the overall security responsibility because we’ve seen what happens when we don’t have it.
“When we don’t have that security responsibility, what we have is the eruption of Hamas terror on a scale that we couldn’t imagine,” he told ABC News.
Netanyahu also addressed the role of Iran and Hezbollah in the conflict, cautioning them from getting more involved.
“I think they’ve understood that if they enter the war in a significant way, the response will be very, very powerful and I hope they don’t make that mistake.”
As of Tuesday morning, the war in Gaza have killed more than 10,000 Palestinians in the besieged enclave, including 4,008 children and 2,550 women.
As the initial shock has faded, public anger has grown, with many families of the hostages held in Gaza bitterly critical of the government response and calling for their relatives to be brought home…reports Asian Lite News
Police held back protesters outside the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, amid widespread anger at the failures that led to last month’s deadly attack by Hamas gunmen on communities around the Gaza Strip.
Waving blue and white Israeli flags and chanting “Jail now!”, a crowd in the hundreds pushed through police barriers around Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem.
The protest, which coincided with a poll showing more than three quarters of Israelis believe Netanyahu should resign, underlined the growing public fury at their political and security leaders.
Netanyahu has so far not accepted personal responsibility for the failures that allowed the surprise assault which saw hundreds of Hamas gunmen storm into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,400 people and taking at least 240 hostage.
As the initial shock has faded, public anger has grown, with many families of the hostages held in Gaza bitterly critical of the government response and calling for their relatives to be brought home.
In Tel Aviv, thousands demonstrated, waving flags and holding photographs of some of the captives in Gaza and posters with slogans like “Release the hostages now at all costs” while crowds chanted, “bring them home now”.
Ofri Bibas-Levy, whose brother, along with his four-year-old son Ariel and 10-month-old son Kfir were taken hostage by Hamas, told Reuters that she came to show support for her family.
“We don’t know where they are, we don’t know what condition they are kept in. I don’t know if Kfir is getting food, I don’t know if Ariel is getting enough food. He is a very small baby,” said Bibas-Levy.
Since the attack, Israel has launched an intense air and ground offensive in Gaza, killing more than 9,000 people, health authorities in the Hamas-run area say, and reducing large areas of the enclave to rubble.
Even before the war, Netanyahu had been a divisive figure, fighting corruption charges, which he denies, and pushing through a plan to curb the powers of the judiciary that brought hundreds of thousands to the streets to protest.
On Saturday, a poll for Israel’s Channel 13 Television found 76% of Israelis thought Netanyahu, now serving a record sixth term as prime minister, should resign and 64% saying the country should hold an election immediately after the war.
When asked who is most at fault for the attack, 44% of Israelis blamed Netanyahu, while 33% blamed the military chief of staff and senior IDF officials and 5% blamed the Defense Minister, according to the poll.
Israel had earlier withdrawn all diplomats from Turkiye and other regional countries as a security precaution…reports Asian Lite News
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday he was breaking off contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to Israel’s actions in Gaza.
“Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off,” Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying.
Erdogan’s remarks came a week after Israel said it was “re-evaluating” its relations with Ankara because of Turkiye’s increasingly heated rhetoric about the Israel-Hamas war.
Israel had earlier withdrawn all diplomats from Turkiye and other regional countries as a security precaution.
Israeli forces have encircled Gaza’s largest city, trying to crush Hamas in retaliation for October 7 raids into Israel that officials say killed around 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and took some 240 people hostage.
The health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, says more than 9,400 Gazans, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Israeli strikes and the intensifying ground campaign.
Erdogan said Saturday that Turkiye was not breaking off diplomatic relations with Israel.
“Completely severing ties is not possible, especially in international diplomacy,” Erdogan said.
He said MIT intelligence agency chief Ibrahim Kalin was spearheading Turkiye’s efforts to try and mediate an end to the war.
“Ibrahim Kalin talking to the Israeli side. Of course, he is also negotiating with Palestine and Hamas,” Erdogan said.
But he said Netanyahu bore the primary responsibility for the violence and had “lost the support of his own citizens”.
“What he needs to do is take a step back and stop this,” Erdogan said.
Jerusalem, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a televised press conference at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem, Dec. 22, 2020. (Yonatan Sindel/JINI via Xinhua)
He made the remarks while was addressing the soldiers of IDF’s Marom Brigade on Thursday…reports Asian Lite News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the army is already on the outskirts of Gaza City and it has “impressive success”.
He said that the army is “advancing and nothing was going to stop its advancement”.
He made the remarks while was addressing the soldiers of IDF’s Marom Brigade on Thursday.
The Prime Minister was briefed by the unit commanders on their activities in recent weeks, including rescuing civilians and clearing terrorists from the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip, as well as refresher exercises for marksmanship and sniper teams, and emergency squads from around the country, and training forces ahead of the ground incursion.
Prime Minister Netanyahu also participated in an exhibition of the elite units’ unique operational capabilities, and the use of the units’ special equipment, which will be used in the fighting in Gaza and various additional sectors.
Netanyahu, while addressing the soldiers, said: “I am here at the Marom Brigade with the elite units, which are doing sacred work. The men and women fighters, who in the hours immediately after the attack, even in the first hour, went to the site, fought heroically, saved people, lost comrades and blocked the enemy.”
“We are in the midst of the campaign. We have very impressive successes. We are already on the outskirts of Gaza City. We are advancing. We also have losses, painful losses, because every soldier who falls is an entire world, and our hearts are with the families.
“But I want to make one thing clear, one of the soldiers said it just now — nothing will stop us. I call on non-combatants — leave, go south because we will not stop our action to eliminate the Hamas terrorists. We will advance. We will advance and win, and we will do so with God’s help and the help of our heroic soldiers. I rely on you. I believe in you. The entire people of Israel stands behind you until victory,” he added.
Prior to October 7, there were 450 trucks going into Gaza daily, said Lynn Hastings, the UN Humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, in a press briefing last week…reports Asian Lite News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shocked the world on Monday, stating Israel would not agree to a ceasefire, saying “This is a time for war” drawing parallel with the US military action after 9/11 and Pearl Harbour attack.
Israel ground forces pushed two miles into Hamas-occupied Gaza for crushing the terror organisation holding some 232 hostages of various nationalities, according to reports reaching here from Tel Aviv.
Israel’s military killed dozens of Hamas fighters Monday overnight striking targets in northern Gaza as its expanded ground operations in the enclave moved rapidly. Israeli media showed the country’s troops atop a hotel about two miles into the Gaza Strip, media reports said.
Netanyahu made clear on Monday that Israel would not agree to a ceasefire, drawing parallels to the US’ position after Pearl Harbour in 1941 and the September 11 terror attacks in 2001.
“I want to make clear Israel’s position regarding the ceasefire. Just as the US would not agree to a ceasefire after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, or after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities with Hamas after the horrific attacks of October 7,” he said.
“Calls for a ceasefire or calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorists, surrender to barbarism, that will not happen,” he said, adding, while the Bible says there is a time for peace, “This is a time for war.”
Benjamin Netanyahu
When asked if he has considered stepping down, Netanyahu said the only thing he would resign is Hamas.
“We’re going to resign them to the dustbin of history. That’s my goal. That’s my responsibility,” he added.
The UN warned “civil order” was breaking down in Gaza after weeks of siege and bombardment, with people breaking into warehouses to grab all essentials for their survival.
US President Joe Biden pushed Netanyahu on Sunday to “immediately and significantly” scale up the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the White House said.
Hamas has released a video showing three women who are believed to be captives held by the Palestinian militant group since its terror attack on Israel on October 7. The video comes just days after Israeli leaders dismissed talks of progress in hostage negotiations, CNN reporters from the battlefield in Gaza said.
The US is pushing Israel to “ensure that communication networks in Gaza remain operational,” as well as to restore essential services of water and fuel, a State Department spokesperson said.
“We made clear to the government of Israel over the weekend that communications networks need to be restored, and we are pleased that they took steps to do that,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a press briefing.
Miller also said the US is “making progress” on ensuring fuel deliveries to Gaza.
Netanyahu rejects claims of civilian casualties in Gaza: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back against reports that Israel was inflicting collective punishment on the Palestinian people in its pursuit of Hamas, saying the group was preventing civilians from moving to the safe zone in southern Gaza.
“Hamas is preventing them from leaving, keeping them in areas of conflict. So I think you should direct your questions to Hamas,” Netanyahu told a reporter at a news conference on Monday.
Netanyahu added Israel has been trying to prevent civilian casualties by calling for civilians in Gaza to move to a safe zone in the south and providing humanitarian support.
“We have to do everything we can to minimise civilian casualties, but we cannot give up the fight,” he said, saying the future of his countries and other “civilised countries” depend on it.
Around 150 aid trucks have crossed into Gaza since the gate opened last week, US says.
A total number of 150 aid trucks have made it through the Rafah crossing into Gaza since the gate opened last week, according to the US State Department. A total of 45 aid trucks went through on Sunday — the most since the gate opened, it added.
“We aim to surpass that number today, tomorrow and beyond,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
Miller added the US would “continue our relentless diplomatic efforts in partnership with Israel, Egypt, the United Nations and international humanitarian partners” to increase “daily deliveries of food, water and medical supplies into Gaza”.
Prior to October 7, there were 450 trucks going into Gaza daily, said Lynn Hastings, the UN Humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, in a press briefing last week.
She added the trucks were facing delays due to screening, technical, security and political issues.
New Israeli leaflets dropped on Gaza urge civilians to evacuate a “battlefield”. Israeli aircraft have dropped new leaflets in Arabic over Gaza, warning people in northern and central parts of the strip that “the governorate of Gaza has become a battlefield”.
“Shelters in the north of the Gaza Strip and the governorate of Gaza have become unsafe,” according to the leaflet, an image of which CNN said it saw.
“Hamas and the terrorist organisations are using the shelters, hospitals and schools in this area. Therefore, your presence in these places is not safe,” the flier continued.
“You must immediately evacuate and move to the humanitarian area to the south of Wadi Gaza,” the leaflet said.
An Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas has been released, IDF says.
A female Israeli soldier who had been kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 has been released during ground operations in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces said on Monday.
“Overnight, the soldier PVT Ori Megidish was released during IDF ground operations,” the IDF said in a statement, adding, “the soldier was medically checked, is doing well, and has met with her family.”
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.
