Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the military operation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip has entered its third phase, which includes an expansion of ground actions in the Palestinian enclave. According to TASS, Netanyahu stated, “We are in the midst of a war… The third stage is the expansion of ground penetration into the Gaza Strip.”
Netanyahu reiterated that Israel’s objective in the conflict is the complete elimination of the military and leadership capabilities of the Palestinian radical group Hamas. He further noted that the IDF is advancing systematically and forcefully. Additionally, the Israeli army is on heightened alert on the northern front, where attacks from Lebanon are taking place.
“The Hamas will be defeated, and there will be a different Gaza,” the Israeli politician affirmed.
Previously, the radical movement Hamas released a video featuring three hostages who demanded an immediate prisoner exchange with Prime Minister Netanyahu. One of the women in the video accused the Israeli authorities of failing to protect people during the attack on October 7. Netanyahu referred to the video as “brutal psychological propaganda” by Hamas and promised to “make every effort” to free the hostages. As of October 25, Hamas was holding 222 prisoners, including six Russians. The radicals are willing to release the captives in exchange for the freedom of all Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, which amounts to approximately 6,000 individuals. Further details can be found in the “Gazeta.ru” article.
It was previously reported that Israel was carrying out shelling in the northwest and southeast sectors of the Gaza Strip.
