The Israeli army and Netanyahu once again urged the civilian population in the Gaza Strip on Saturday to “immediately” flee south. “This is the second phase of the war, the goals of which are clear – the destruction of Hamas’s government and military capabilities and the return of the hostages,” Netanyahu told reporters. “We’re just at the beginning,” he said. “We will destroy the enemy above and below the ground.”
The emergency government made the decision to expand ground operations unanimously. The moment of truth has come: “Win or cease to exist,” the Italian news agency ANSA quoted Netanyahu as saying. The war in Gaza is “our second war of independence. We want to pay back the murderers for what they have done.” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel had no interest in expanding the war but was “prepared on all fronts.”
Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority governs parts of the occupied West Bank, said: “Our people in the Gaza Strip are facing a war of genocide and massacres carried out by Israeli occupying forces in full view of the world.”
Many buildings are in ruins, shelter is hard to find, and people in the Gaza Strip lack food, water, fuel and medicine. Their plight worsened on Friday evening when telephone and internet connections were disrupted – followed by heavy bombings during the night.
“God help everyone who lies under the rubble,” said a Gazan journalist who spent a night in a stairwell watching “belts of fire” as bombs fell and Israeli forces appeared to exchange fire with Palestinian fighters. Without cell phones, no one could call an ambulance, and the emergency services lacked fuel anyway. Desperate people turned to the police when they could be found, calling for help on their radios.
Israel’s top military spokesman declined to say whether Israel was behind the Gaza blackout. But he said it would do whatever was necessary to protect its forces.
On Saturday night, the Israeli army carried out its most violent attacks in the Palestinian territory since the war began three weeks ago. According to the army, 150 Hamas underground and military targets were hit. In addition, one of those primarily responsible for the major attack on Israel was killed. According to Palestinian information, hundreds of buildings in the north of the Gaza Strip were completely destroyed in the overnight shelling.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres sharply criticized the “unprecedented escalation” of air strikes in the Gaza Strip. “Instead of the pause he expected,” there has been an “unprecedented escalation of bombings and their devastating effects, which undermine the stated humanitarian goals,” said Guterres during a visit to Qatar. Guterres also called again for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) condemned Israel’s actions in the evening. The UAE is calling for an emergency UN Security Council meeting over Israel’s escalation of ground attacks, diplomats said. In 2020, the Emirates became the first Gulf state to normalize its relations with Israel.
Hamas called on Saturday for the release of all Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. This is the “price” that Israel must “pay” for the release of the hostages kidnapped by the Islamists, said a video message from the spokesman for the militant organization’s armed wing, Abu Obeida, broadcast by Hamas television.
According to Israeli military figures, at least 700,000 Palestinians have already fled to the south of the Gaza Strip. The United Nations speaks of 1.4 million internally displaced people. In total, more than 2.2 million people live in the densely populated area. On Saturday, internally displaced people looted a UN food warehouse.
On Saturday, Israeli cities were again shelled from the Gaza Strip. Sirens wailed several times in several towns in the border area with the coastal strip, the Israeli army said. There were also air alerts in the greater Tel Aviv area and in Ashkelon. According to police, a building was hit by a rocket in the desert city of Beersheva. The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamist organization Hamas ruling the Gaza Strip, claimed responsibility for the attacks from Gaza.
There were also clashes again on Israel’s border with Lebanon on Saturday. The Israeli army said several anti-tank missiles and mortar shells were fired at Israel from Lebanon. Military posts along the border were also attacked. There have been increasing incidents on the border between Israel and Lebanon since the beginning of the Gaza war. There have already been fatalities on both sides.
Netanyahu says he does not know whether Iran was involved in planning the brutal terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas on October 7th. Netanyahu said on Saturday evening that he assumes that Iran finances 90 percent of Hamas’ military budget. Without Iran, the Palestinian organization would not exist, emphasized Israel’s head of government. The same applies to the Hezbollah militia.
In the war between Israel and Hamas, there are concerns that the pro-Iranian Hezbollah could also become more involved from Lebanon. Hezbollah is considered far more dangerous to Israel than Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip. Lebanon has prepared an emergency plan in case the Gaza war escalates, according to its acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
So far, around 1,400 Israelis have died as a result of Hamas’ terror, and around 220 people have been kidnapped as hostages in the Gaza Strip. On the other hand, 7,650 people have died in the Gaza Strip due to Israeli attacks, according to the Palestinian Health Authority in Ramallah. 19,450 were injured. On Saturday there were pro-Palestinian rallies in numerous cities around the world, including Bregenz.