CNN Indonesia
Sunday, 31 Dec 2023 09:50 WIB
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. (AFP/Abir Sultan)
Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Prime Minister Israel Benjamin Netanyahu stated his desire to control the border zone between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Netanyahu also estimates that the war in the Palestinian territories will continue for months.
Currently, Israel’s aggression in Gaza is entering its 13th week. In a press conference, Netanyahu renewed his promise to wipe out Hamas and repatriate all Israelis held hostage in Gaza.
“The Philadelphi Corridor, or rather the stopping point in the south (Gaza), must be in our hands. It should be closed. “It is clear that any other arrangement will not guarantee the demilitarization we want,” Netanyahu said, as reported Al JazeeraSunday (31/12).
The Israeli government says it intends to destroy Hamas in Gaza and demilitarize the territory to prevent a repeat of the cross-border killings and kidnappings that occurred on October 7, 2023, carried out by the Palestinian militant group.
“The war is reaching its peak. We are fighting on all fronts. Achieving victory will take time. As the (Israeli army) chief of staff said, the war will continue for several more months,” Netanyahu said.
He also added a rare threat to attack Iran directly over the almost daily firefights on the Israel-Lebanon border.
“If Hezbollah (the Lebanese armed group backed by Iran) expands the war, they will suffer a blow they never imagined, and so will Iran,” Netanyahu said without elaborating.
The war has sparked fears of a regional conflict amid rising tensions with other Iran-allied groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
Israeli bombardment via air and ground attacks has been brutal in Gaza since October 7 2023, which has so far killed at least 21,672 people, most of whom are women and children. Thousands of other people are still buried under the rubble.
Israel’s military operations have also left almost all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents surrounded and forced to flee. Previously, around 1,140 people were killed in a surprise Hamas attack on Israeli territory on October 7.
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2023-12-31 02:50:18
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