The Israeli army announced a ground offensive against Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, on Saturday evening. “Are you ready for the next phase? The next phase is coming!” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his soldiers during a visit to the troops.
The military in Tel Aviv said it was preparing for an “integrated and coordinated attack from air, sea and land” on the Islamist group. Preparations are nearing completion. This includes calling up and equipping hundreds of thousands of reservists.
Video: Netanyahu meets soldiers
“Wide range of plans for offensive operations”
Armed forces have already been deployed across the country and are ready to “increase preparedness for the next phases of the war, with a focus on a major ground operation,” the report said. A “wide range of plans for offensive operations” is being prepared.
Shortly before, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced the next phase in the war against the terrorist group. During a visit to troops near the Gaza border on Saturday, he told soldiers: “Are you ready for the next phase? The next phase is coming.” In the video, the soldiers could be seen nodding.
Mass exodus from Gaza
The Israeli ultimatum to evacuate Gaza City had already expired on Friday. On Saturday, the Israeli army announced that hundreds of thousands had moved south.
“This will take time”
“It is clear to us that this will take time,” military spokesman Richard Hecht said on Saturday. Hamas also tries to stop civilians. The Israeli army had earlier Saturday assured residents of the northern Gaza Strip a period and an escape route without attacks.
Between 10am and 4pm local time (9am to 3pm CEST), residents of Beit Hanun must follow a marked escape route to Khan Yunis, as an army spokesperson announced in Arabic on the X platform (formerly Twitter). Movement there is possible “without damage” during the indicated hours.
Observers assume that the Israeli army has asked the more than one million Palestinians in the north of the coastal strip to evacuate to the south of the Gaza Strip because a ground offensive is imminent. Since the unprecedented massacre of Israeli civilians by terrorists on behalf of Hamas in border towns and at a music festival, the Israeli army has been carrying out massive air strikes on targets in the densely populated coastal strip.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh reiterated his terror group’s rejection of the evacuation of Palestinian civilians from the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians would not leave the Gaza Strip and the West Bank or travel to Egypt, he said in a TV address on Saturday. “Our decision is to stay in our country,” he told Egypt.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
