Gaza holds its breath as Israel deploys across the Strip to undertake its offensive by land, sea and air

Israel is already prepared for its offensive on Gaza to neutralize Hamas. By land, by sea and by air. This is how it responds to the attacks a week ago, which also includes warnings to the civilian population and the opening of some humanitarian corridors. Israel, in fact, continues to accumulate troops and tanks on the border to imminently deploy its Army.. “We are deployed and strongly prepared for the next stages of the war,” the Armed Forces expressed this weekend.. However, according to the New York Times, the Netanyahu Government has had to postpone its entry into the area due to bad weather.. Despite this, there is also a “mass exodus” of Gazans to the south.

No one has set dates at the moment, but the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Armed Forces, General Herzi Halevi, assured that they will enter Gaza “soon.”. “Now our responsibility is to enter Gaza, go to the places where Hamas is preparing, acting, planning and launching projectiles. We are going to attack them everywhere, all the commanders, each of their members, to destroy the infrastructure. To win, in a word,” he concluded.

Israeli bombings on the Strip have continued throughout the weekend. “These attacks affected the capabilities of the Hamas terrorist organization by attacking its operational command centers, military complexes, dozens of (rocket) launchers, anti-tank missile launch sites and observation posts.. In addition, operational command centers belonging to the terrorist organization Islamic Jihad were attacked,” explained the Army, which has also accused Hamas of blocking roads to prevent the evacuations of civilians.. “Hear our warnings. “We are saying that there are going to be significant military activities here and we want, we urge civilians to evacuate for their own safety,” they warned.

What Israel has committed to is returning water to the inhabitants of Gaza, in addition to opening civilian corridors, leaving aside the 24-hour ultimatum it had given and which international organizations had seen as “impossible.” to comply with by the citizens who remain in the area. Coverage of basic needs is another key point also from the point of view of NGOs.

In this sense, the United States National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, announced this Sunday that his Israeli counterparts have informed him of the resumption this Sunday of the water supply to southern Gaza, currently the scene of a massive displacement of Palestinians. from the north of the Strip in the midst of a practically total blockade. “I can say that my Israeli counterparts, just this last hour, have told me that they have reopened the pipelines in southern Gaza,” Sullivan said in an interview with CNN.

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has warned this Saturday that the more than two million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip are in a “life or death” situation precisely due to the lack of light and water.. And in fact the White House has been the one that has had to mediate in the last hours.

Victims continue to increase

Regarding the number of victims, the daily balance published this Sunday by the Ministry of Health of the Gaza Strip raises the dead to more than 2,600 – a figure that already exceeds that which occurred in the escalation of 2014 – and 9,600 the injured of varying degrees since the beginning of the retaliation attacks by the Israeli Armed Forces. On the other hand, Israel revealed that there are at least 155 hostages in the hands of Hamas. Furthermore, the United Nations now estimates that one million people have been displaced since the start of hostilities.

Joe Biden held talks with both Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Netanyahu's office has reported that he has thanked Biden for the “deep support” of the United States and the visits of the American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin.

Abbas, for his part, has asked Biden to open humanitarian corridors in the Gaza Strip for the entry of water, electricity, fuel and medical supplies.. He has also highlighted “the need to stop all attacks and respect International Humanitarian Law”, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.. It was in fact the first conversation between Abbas and Biden since the war broke out.

The same position as the US was also marked by the EU member states.. The 27 signed a joint statement this Sunday in which they remind Israel of the limits of its response to the Hamas terrorist attacks.. “The European Union condemns in the strongest possible terms Hamas and its brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks throughout Israel and deeply deplores the loss of human life,” the text begins.

“There is no justification for terror. We strongly insist on Israel's right to defend itself in accordance with humanitarian and international law against these violent and indiscriminate attacks.. We reiterate the importance of guaranteeing the protection of all civilians at all times in accordance with International Humanitarian Law,” he said, in line with what was already expressed by the High Representative, Josep Borrell, days ago.. The foreign policy of the EU, in fact, is set precisely by the Member States.

“We strongly condemn the indiscriminate terrorist attacks by Hamas and recognize Israel's right to defend itself within international law and humanitarian law,” added the acting president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, in a message on social networks.. An emergency summit of the European Council is being called this Tuesday by videoconference.

For his part, Netanyahu presided this Sunday over the first public appearance of the new Israeli emergency government under the warning that Israeli forces will “dismantle” the Hamas militias that are attacking the country.. “Our wonderful frontline fighters are ready to act at any moment to exterminate the damn monsters who have taken up arms against us,” Netanyahu said during a brief presentation before the closed-door security meeting between members of the new cabinet. .

Hamas believed it was going to disintegrate us, but we will be the ones to dismantle Hamas

“Hamas believed that it was going to disintegrate us, but we will be the ones who dismantle Hamas,” added the Israeli president, accompanied by Benny Gantz, an opponent who has now become a minister without portfolio within this new concentration executive.. “This unity government,” Netanyahu has declared in this regard, “sends a clear message to the enemy, to the country and to the world.”. In his speech he also assured the families of those kidnapped by Hamas that “one of the objectives of the war is the release of the hostages.”

In the context of the conflict, also, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), commanded by Spain, reported the impact of a projectile against the contingent's headquarters in southern Lebanon.. There was, however, no victim.. A UNIFIL spokesperson, Andrea Tenenti, explained that the Force's headquarters in Naqura was “attacked” and that the incident “is being investigated”, without yet specifying the origin.. The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, had a telephone conversation with the commander of UNIFIL, Spanish General Aroldo Lázaro. In a message on

Iran, a traditional ally of Hamas, also had something to say. Its Foreign Minister, Hosein Amir Abdolahian, warned this Sunday that the conflict between Israel and Palestine could spread throughout the region if the Israeli State continues its attacks on Gaza.. “If the Israeli regime continues its attacks against the defenseless people of Gaza, no one can guarantee control of the situation and that the conflict will not expand,” Abdolahian said from Qatar, where he is visiting as part of a regional tour.. Abdolahian then singled out the United States for “reinforcing its support for the Zionist regime” while advising restraint to other countries.