In Gaza, the intense fighting is winding down, but according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the war is far from over.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the intense fighting against Hamas in the Gaza Strip is coming to an end. However, he stated that the war will continue until Hamas no longer controls the area.
After the intense fighting in Gaza is over, Netanyahu mentioned that Israel will be able to send more troops to the northern border with Lebanon, where fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah has increased.
Netanyahu said, The goal is to return the kidnapped and uproot the Hamas regime in Gaza. After the intense phase is finished, we will have the possibility to move part of the forces north. And we will do this. First and foremost for defensive purposes. And secondly, to bring our (evacuated) residents home.
For now, Lakhs of Israelis have consistently rallied against Netanyahu and his government, demanding early elections and a deal to return the captives.
Last month, US President Joe Biden proposed a ceasefire. This plan includes a six-week pause in fighting and the release of some Israeli captives in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. These exchanges would help start talks for a permanent ceasefire.
Netanyahu is facing increasing pressure from the United States and other allied nations, even those that usually support Israel, as the death toll in Gaza nears 40,000. Israel started the war against Iran-backed Hamas in response to a terror attack by the militia on October 7, which killed over 1,200 Israelis and led to about 250 people being kidnapped.
U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Netanyahu to reduce the Israel Defense Force’s attacks on Gaza. One such attack included the shelling of a food aid operation in April, which killed seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen.
Gazans have been forced to evacuate and move south due to ongoing attacks by the IDF, including to the town of Rafah. Despite international condemnation, Israeli forces invaded Rafah as well, displacing hundreds of thousands of Gazans. Many of these people had already been displaced before, some more than once.
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