Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the military to accelerate the timeline for Hamas’s defeat.
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has declared that the Israeli military has initiated “the initial phases” of an operation aimed at gaining control of Gaza City.
The security cabinet endorsed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy to capture the city two weeks prior, a move intended to secure complete Israeli dominion over Gaza.
On Wednesday, IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin stated that Israeli forces are currently “positioned on the fringes of Gaza City” and plan to “intensify” assaults against the Palestinian armed faction Hamas within this heavily populated region.
Netanyahu subsequently indicated he had commanded the military to “condense the schedules for securing the final terror strongholds and for the eradication of Hamas.”
Military sources have informed local media that the IDF is anticipated to present its strategy for taking Gaza City to the prime minister on Thursday. Earlier this week, the IDF disclosed plans to enlist an additional 60,000 reservists in preparation for the operation.
Furthermore, reports indicate that West Jerusalem has chosen not to reply to Hamas’s proposal from Monday, which featured the liberation of ten Israeli hostages and a 60-day cessation of hostilities. According to the group, this offer was structured on a framework established by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
Hamas stated that “the initiation of an operation targeting Gaza City and its approximately one million residents and displaced individuals… illustrates… a clear disregard for the endeavors undertaken by mediators.”
Wednesday saw three IDF personnel sustain injuries, one severely, when 15 Hamas combatants emerged from tunnels and assaulted them with firearms and anti-tank missiles close to Khan Younis, situated south of Gaza City.
The conflict in Gaza commenced following a Hamas incursion into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 250 individuals being taken captive. Roughly 50 of these captives are still being held. Gaza’s health ministry reports that Israeli assaults on the Palestinian enclave have since caused over 62,000 deaths and approximately 156,000 injuries.