The Israeli Regime in the Hezbollah-Salt Regime: How Israel and the Israelis fought in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7
Another soldier was killed in northern Israel by fire from the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, which has kept up low-level fighting with Israel since the war with Hamas erupted, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
Even if Israelis have been supportive of the war effort, there has been widespread anger against Netanyahu’s government, which many criticize for failing to protect civilians on Oct. 7 and promoting policies that allowed Hamas to gain strength over the years.
The names of fallen soldiers are announced at the top of hourly newscasts, and in a small country of about 9 million people, virtually every family knows a relative, friend or co-worker who has lost a family member in war.
Four soldiers died when their vehicle was hit by an anti-tank missile. The others were killed in separate, sporadic fighting.
The war exacts a heavy price on the Israelis but they have to keep fighting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday. We are going forward with all of the force until we achieve all of our goals.
On Saturday night, thousands of people demonstrated in pouring rain in Tel Aviv, chanting “Bibi, Bibi, we don’t want you anymore,” referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
Netanyahu has avoided accepting responsibility for the military and policy failures leading up to Oct. 7, saying he would answer tough questions once the fighting is over.
On Saturday, Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said forces were expanding their offensive in northern and southern Gaza and troops were fighting in “complex areas” in Khan Younis, Gaza’s second-largest city, where Israel believes Hamas leaders are hiding.
Associated Press: An Israeli drone attack on Gaza’s refugee camp, sparks of humanitarian crisis, and criticism from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Palestinian Red Crescent said Sunday morning that a 13-year-old boy was shot and killed by an Israeli drone attack while inside the building of al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis. It did not give any further details.
An Israeli strike overnight hit a house in a refugee camp west of the city of Rafah, on Gaza’s borders with Egypt. According to Associated Press journalists in the hospital, two people were killed and their bodies were taken to the Abu Yousef al-Najjar hospital.
The Palestinians said that Israel bombarded the area north of Gaza City that they had previously claimed to control. Sounds of explosions and gunfire echoed across the town with Israeli warplanes flying over the area, they said. Hamas’ military arm said its fighters shelled Israeli troops in Jabaliya and Jabaliya refugee camp.
Assad said that there were bombing and battles during the night. “Sounds of explosions and gunfire did not stop.”
The rising civilian death toll and widespread damage in Gaza has elicited heavy criticism from the international community.
The mounting casualties on both sides came days after the United Nations Security Council passed a watered-down resolution calling for the speedy delivery of humanitarian aid for hungry and desperate Palestinians and the release of all the hostages, but not for a cease-fire.
It was not known how aid deliveries would increase after the U.N. resolution. Trucks enter through two crossings — Rafah on the border with Egypt and Kerem Shalom on the border with Israel. It took less than 100 trucks to enter, far below the daily average before the war.
Filippo Grandi, the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, on Sunday reiterated calls by other top U.N. officials for a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza to allow the delivery of aid, and help release hostages.
The only thing that can stop a humanitarian truce in Gaza is aid to reach people in need, hostages being released, and more displacement to be avoided.
Europe has stepped up calls for a stop to the fighting. But the U.S., Israel’s top ally, appeared to remain firmly behind Israel even though it has intensified its calls for greater protection for civilians in Gaza.
The U.S. President talked with Netanyahu on Saturday after Washington shielded Israel from a harsher UN resolution. Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister made clear to the Israelis that they would continue the war until they achieved their goals.
“The war exacts a very heavy price from us, but we have no choice but to continue fighting,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. In a nationally televised speech, the Israeli president appealed for the country’s unity. “This moment is a test. He said that they would not break nor blink. There has been widespread anger against his government, which many criticize for failing to protect civilians on Oct. 7 and promoting policies that allowed Hamas to gain strength over the years. Netanyahu has avoided accepting responsibility for the military and policy failures. Amos Harel wrote that the public would find it difficult to ignore the heavy price paid as well as the suspicion that the aims that were loudly heralded are still far from being accomplished and Hamas is showing no signs of capitulating in the near future. The Israeli military said it had dismantled Hamas’ underground headquarters in northern Gaza, which was part of an operation to take down the vast tunnel network and kill off top commanders. Efforts toward negotiations continued. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Ziyyad al-Nakhalah is in Egypt. The militant group, which also took part in the Oct. 7 attack, said it was prepared to consider releasing hostages only after fighting ends. Hamas’ top leader Ismail Haniyeh traveled to Cairo for talks days earlier.