Israeli Defense Minister said Israeli troops will remain in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely as the troops strengthen their grip in several occupied territories.
“Unlike the past, [Israeli military] Israel Katz said in a statement Wednesday.
The army “remains in the security zone as a buffer between enemies. [Israeli] “Communities in Gaza are in a temporary or permanent situation, like Lebanon and Syria,” the statement said.
The military said it had transformed 30% of Gaza into a “security” buffer zone and since resuming the attack on March 18, it had hit around 1,200 “terrorist targets” since following a nearly two-month ceasefire in Gaza with Palestinian group Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to annihilate Hamas and return 59 prisoners of war detained by a Gaza armed group, including 24 people who believe Israel is alive. Hamas said he disagrees with the release of prisoners without a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire.
On Wednesday, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Group released a video of prisoner Rom Braslavski. He appears to be obsessed with, and he appeals to Netanyahu to stop the war, saying that he is covered in Soles. The main organisations representing prisoners of war members denounced the Israeli government in a statement that they “choose to take the territory before hostages.”
Israel says it must maintain control of what is called the “security zone” to prevent the repeat of Hamas on October 7, 2023. The attack killed about 1,139 people and 250 others accused.
Netanyahu also said Israel would implement President Donald Trump’s proposal for resettlement in most of Gaza in other countries through what Netanyahu calls “voluntary immigration.”
Lebanon President Joseph Ounu said Israel’s continued presence in several regions of southern Lebanon “stood” the full deployment of Lebanese forces, as required by the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.
According to a deal signed in November after more than a year of war ended, the parties agreed to withdraw from southern Lebanon and leave the area so that they could be ruled by Lebanese forces. However, Israel partially pulled troops from the country’s south, leaving soldiers in at least five locations.
Lebanon’s health ministry said two Israeli drone strikes in southern Lebanon killed two on Wednesday. Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed more than 70 civilians since the ceasefire came into effect in November.
Israel has also established several military posts within Syrian territory, including the summit of Syrian Summit Harmon.
The Israeli government quickly revealed its position towards a new Syrian government led by former opposition group Hayat Tahri al-Sham (HTS), calling it “the Idlib terrorist group that took Damascus by force,” which refused to withdraw from the territory it seized.
“There is no humanitarian assistance” to enter Gaza
In a statement from X, Katz said Israel’s policy was “clear.”
“Humanitarian assistance to Gaza will not be permitted,” the defense minister said Wednesday.
Preventing humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip “is one of the main pressure tools to stop Hamas from using this measure against its population,” he added.
“In the current reality, no one intends to grant humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and there is no preparation to allow this type of assistance.”
Israeli Minister of Culture Miki Zohar reiterated this position by saying, “The despicable murderers of Gaza are not worthy of humanitarian assistance from civilian or military mechanisms.”
“Until the last hostages return from Gaza, we should pour only the hellish fire on the terrorist makers,” Zohar said in X.
Israeli authorities have blocked all aid from entering Gaza for more than six weeks, exacerbating Gaza’s already devastating humanitarian situation.
The United Nations on Wednesday rejected a new approval mechanism aimed at introducing greater control over Israeli forces’ provision of aid in Gaza, saying aid organizations already have mechanisms in place to ensure that aid is not diverted to Hamas.
“The provision of aid to Gaza has long been hampered,” the UN added that the team is “ready to provide assistance to those in the most needy on humanitarian principles.”
Meanwhile, Israeli air attacks continued on Wednesday, with at least 25 people killed in attacks across Gaza. Palestinian journalist Fatima Hassone and ten members of her family were killed in an Israeli air strike that targeted their home in Gaza city.
Source link
