According to Israel’s defense minister, forces have entered the “heart of Gaza City” in their battle against Hamas.
The United States has warned Israel that reoccupying the Gaza Strip is “not the right thing to do,” following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration that Israel will have an indefinite hold on the territory after its war with Hamas concluded.
The US and Israel are “actively discussing what post-conflict Gaza looks like,” according to White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, and both nations have decided that Hamas cannot be a part of the territory’s future.
President Joe Biden, meanwhile, “maintains his position that reoccupation by Israeli forces is not the right thing to do,” he continued.
Midway through October, Biden declared that Israel would be making a “huge mistake” if it continued to occupy Gaza, the Mediterranean outpost from which it withdrew troops in 2005.
However, he noted that President Joe Biden “remains firm in his belief that reoccupation by Israeli forces is the wrong thing to do.“
Kirby intervened after Netanyahu stated to ABC News that “Israel will have the overall security responsibility” for Gaza “for an indefinite period.” He continued, “We’ve seen what happens when we don’t have it.” Yoav Gallant, the Israeli minister of defense, has also emphasized that neither Israel nor Hamas will control Gaza until the conflict is concluded.
According to Israeli authorities, several issues have surfaced between Israel and the US on the former’s conduct in the war, which it launched after Hamas rampaged through southern Israel a month ago, murdering 1,400 people.
In response, Israel bombarded the enclave with artillery and aircraft, killing about 10,300 Palestinians, the majority of whom were women and children, according to Palestinian health officials.
The US has demanded that Israel implement “humanitarian pauses” to get aid into Gaza and the release of foreign nationals, including possible hostages, as well as increased attempts to safeguard Palestinian civilians. However, Israel remains unfazed and has consistently turned down requests for a truce.
Israel stated on Wednesday that its airstrikes on Gaza had killed a key Hamas weapons developer called Mahsein Abu Zina. It declared a day earlier that its forces had reached Gaza’s capital, which it regards as the “center of gravity” for Hamas.
According to Gallant, “[Israel Defense Forces] are in the center of Gaza City.” Both the North and the South sent them. With complete coordination between their air, sea, and land troops, they stormed it.
In late October, Israel advanced to the next phase of its attack on the Strip, commencing an onslaught on the ground in the northern half of the enclave, especially in Gaza City. Palestinian civilians have been advised to relocate south by Israel.
The G7 foreign ministers called for a cease-fire, emphasizing “urgent action” to aid civilians in Gaza and allow foreign nationals to leave the territory.
At the end of a meeting in Japan on Wednesday, the ministers declared, “All parties must allow unimpeded humanitarian support for civilians, including food, water, medical care, fuel, and shelter, as well as access for humanitarian workers.“
