TEL AVIV: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the “intense phase” of war against Hamas in Gaza will be ending “very soon.” But he added that Israel will likely shifts forces to the border with Lebanon, where Israel has engaged in daily skirmishes with the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
Hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have escalated in current weeks, raising fears of a wider conflict in the region.
In his interview with Israel’s media Netanyahu said moving troops north would bolster the Israel’s defensive posture against Hezbollah and allow Israelis who fled the fighting near the Lebanon-Israel border to return home.
He added that while he hopes a diplomatic solution to the battle with Hezbollah could be found, Israel can “fight on several fronts, and we are also preparing for it.”
While Netanyahu expects fighting in Gaza to wind down as Israeli troops conclude their assault in Rafah, he stressed that Israel expects to have an army deployment there for the foreseeable future.
Israeli Prime Minister repeated his opposition to either Hamas or the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority having a role in managing the Gaza Strip. The US has previously warned Israel against a long-term military occupation of the territory.
According to Arab media, Israeli tanks surround the tent camp in the al-Mawasi “safe zone” near Rafah, days following an Israeli strike killed around 25 people. health officials said that two babies have passed away from malnutrition at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, bringing the known death toll from starvation to 31. A probe has found that an Israeli tank fired at Palestinian children Hind Rajab’s family car from likely as little as 42-75 feet.
Gaza Health Ministry said that more than 37,598 people have been killed and over 86,032 injured in Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7.
