“More than 8,500 Palestinians evacuated from northern Gaza, main combat zone.”
Israel, which has been conducting ground operations in northern Gaza for several days, reaffirmed its war goal of eliminating Hamas.
Daniel Conricus, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said at an early morning briefing on the 31st (local time), “The area we are attacking now is northern Gaza, the center of gravity of Hamas,” and “We are pursuing their commander and attacking their infrastructure.” “He said.
After the Palestinian armed political faction Hamas carried out the ‘Al-Aqsa flood’ surprise attack on the 7th, Israel launched a large-scale retaliatory attack on the Gaza Strip, its base. Ground operations have been carried out intermittently, but ground forces have been deployed in earnest into the Gaza Strip since the night of the 27th.
Although it is not the large-scale deployment initially expected by the international community, Israel has defined this deployment of ground troops as the ‘second phase of the war’. There is an analysis that after establishing a base for its military in the Gaza Strip, it entered into a ‘long-term war’ to gradually eliminate Hamas.
Spokesperson Conricus said, “Our troops are currently on the ground and are expanding their activities inside Gaza,” adding, “Israeli troops are operating (inside the Gaza Strip) in a variety of fields.” He also said that he would strike any important Hamas-related target at any time.
He also emphasized that his country’s military is conducting operations with professionalism and that “Hamas, not civilians, is our enemy.” He went on to say that since calling for the evacuation of civilians from Gaza City two weeks ago, “more than 8,500 Palestinians have been evacuated from the north, the main fighting zone.”
He said, “Hamas prevented many people (from evacuating), but several people did evacuate,” and added, “I hope that everyone evacuates for their (Gaza City residents) safety.” He also said that the humanitarian situation, including access to drinking water and food, would be better if evacuated to the south.
“We did not start this battle, nor did we want it,” he said, characterizing the war as “going to end with the complete disintegration of Hamas and a completely different security situation in the south of (Israel).”
Meanwhile, in the international community, voices calling for a ceasefire are growing as civilian casualties continue to rise. At the United Nations, a resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was adopted at an emergency general meeting on the 27th with 120 votes in favor to 14 against, with 45 abstentions.
However, Israel is maintaining its position that there is no immediate ceasefire. In relation to this, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defined the current war situation as a “turning point” in a speech on the 30th and said, “It is time to decide whether to fight for a future of hope and promise, or to surrender to tyranny and terrorism.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.