ISRAEL WILL OCCUPY GAZA FOR A LONG TIME


The Israeli government has once again made things clear. Jewish hostages can be released, but in no case will this mean that the Israeli armed forces will withdraw from the Palestinian enclave.


Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Wednesday that Israel is currently "Thoroughly changing the way we are running the Gaza war. We are preparing hell for Hamas." The comments were made in a livestreamed Q&A session with the minister.


The minister does not rule out that the hostages could be released, but stresses that this cannot be conditional on the withdrawal of the Jewish armed forces from the enclave.


This is the position that Prime Minister Netanyahu has always maintained: We can reach agreements with Hamas but none of them will mean that we will withdraw from Gaza. The general idea is to unite Gaza with the West Bank, as an occupied territory, or in other words a colony that unites the two territories.


28 Palestinians killed in IDF strikes across Gaza in the 461 days of the war,  since midnight, health officials say, Palestinian sources report two children killed in an IDF drone strike. Smotrich has stressed that any decision made in favour of Hamas “is a decision that favours terrorism. The phrase has been uttered several times. Israel wants to free the hostages held by the terrorist movement, but not by abandoning the territory of the enclave.


In this context, it will be very difficult to reach an agreement between the two parties involved in the war, despite the continued mediation by Qatar and Egypt. Netanyahu believes that it is Israel that is in a position of strength and, in addition, he has the support of President Donald Trump, who supported the Hebrew state since his first term.


It is a difficult game of cards. The Jewish people need the release of the 96 hostages who live in inhuman conditions. But all the demonstrations and demands for at least a part of them to be released have failed. Hamas announced it would release 34 hostages if Israel agreed to a truce leading to a permanent ceasefire. It is a concession Netanyahu has yet to accept, even if it does not include the withdrawal of armed forces.


Three Israeli soldiers were killed in northern Gaza on Wednesday after being ambushed. 28 Palestinians killed in IDF strikes across Gaza since midnight, health officials say. Palestinian sources report two children killed in an IDF drone strike in the north of the enclave.


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