Translated with AI
Israel will launch a new major offensive in the Gaza Strip in the coming days with the aim of completely defeating the radical Islamist movement Hamas and freeing all hostages held by the militants, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday during a meeting with wounded reservists of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
"We are preparing for new operations. In the coming days, the IDF will launch a full-scale offensive in Gaza. Our goal is to achieve a complete victory over Hamas and free all remaining hostages," dpa quotes him as saying.
The head of the Israeli government stressed that Israel will not accept a cessation of military action, even if some of the hostages are released. "A temporary truce is possible, but there can be no long-term end to the war," he noted.
Sharp criticism from the UN and the international community
At the same time, Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip have been sharply criticized by UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, who said Israeli authorities were "deliberately and shamelessly" creating inhumane conditions for the enclave's 2.1 million residents, who are on the brink of widespread famine due to the blockage of food, water, medicine and basic necessities.
"There has been no food, water or medicine coming into Gaza for over ten weeks. We call on Israel to end the blockade, stop killing and injuring civilians and allow full access for humanitarian workers," Fletcher said, adding that Hamas "immediately and unconditionally releases all hostages" and stops using civilians as human shields.
French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed support for this position. German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, during a meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem, stated the need for urgent access to humanitarian aid for the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.
Waiting for the offensive to begin
According to Israeli media, the offensive operation in Gaza is expected to begin no earlier than the end of former US President Donald Trump's three-day visit to the Persian Gulf countries, which began on May 13 with a visit to Saudi Arabia and will continue in Qatar and the UAE.
Escalation of the conflict
The conflict in the Middle East escalated on October 7, 2023, after a Hamas attack that involved massive rocket strikes and attacks on civilians in Israel. The attack left about 1,200 people dead and more than 250 hostages.
In response, Israel declared war on Hamas and launched a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry, more than 51,000 Palestinians were killed and over 115,000 were injured as a result of Israeli bombing and ground operations. However, the ministry did not specify the number of militants among the dead.
Hamas is supported by the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, which regularly fires rockets at northern Israel. The Israeli army has carried out a number of operations in southern Lebanon, but later announced the withdrawal of its forces from the area.
