Keystone-SDA
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that he would summon his cabinet to “give instructions” to the army on the pursuit of war in the Gaza Strip.
(Keystone-ATS) At the same time, Israel intends to put the question of hostages “at the center of the world agenda”, said his head of diplomacy, Gideon Saar, on the eve of a session of the United Nations Security Council dedicated to this file on his initiative.
Opening a council of ministers, Netanyahu announced that he would summon his office “this week” to “give instructions” to the army “on how to achieve the three war objectives that we have set”.
“We are in the midst of an intense war in which we have obtained very important, historical successes, because we were not divided (…) We must continue to remain united,” he added. He recalled the “objectives of the war” which are “to defeat the enemy, to release our hostages and to ensure that Gaza no longer constitutes a threat to Israel”.
Israel led “to ruin”
In war against Hamas since the unprecedented attack on the Palestinian Islamist movement on its soil on October 7, 2023, the Israeli government faces increasing pressure to find a way out.
Nearly 600 former officials of the security apparatus in Israel, Mossad and Shin Bet in particular, called US President Donald Trump on Monday to put pressure on Mr. Netanyahu to end the war and thus bring “hostages to their homes”.
“Stop war in Gaza!” “Exhorts this letter, signed by the main Israeli masters-spy, of a cohort of ex-general and security officials, who pride themselves on being strong of” a thousand years of experience in national security and diplomacy “in the country.
Mr. Netanyahu “leads Israel to his ruin and the hostages to their death,” accused the Families forum, the main organization of families of captives in Gaza.
“For 22 months, we have sold to the public the illusion that military pressure and intense battles will take off the hostages”, but these speeches “are only a lie and deception of the public”, he castigated.
Of the 251 people kidnapped during the attack on Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023, 49 remain retained in Gaza, including 27 declared dead by the Israeli army, after two truces having allowed the release of others
“Humanitarian corridors”
The publication last week by Hamas and the Islamic jihad of three videos showing two Israeli hostages, Rom Breslevski and Evyatar David, very weakened and emaciated, rekindled in Israel the debate on the need to reach an agreement as quickly as possible.
Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday “shocked” by these “horror videos” and asked for the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide “food” and “medical treatment” to hostages.
Hamas demanded in return the opening of “humanitarian corridors (…) for the passage of food and drugs” in the besieged Palestinian territory and now threatened with “generalized famine”, according to the UN.
The international community is also pressing Israel, which only authorizes a lot of aid deemed insufficient by the UN, to open humanitarian valves in Gaza.
On the ground, the Israeli army continues its bombings and ground operations. According to the local civil defense, 19 Palestinians were killed on Monday, including nine who came to seek food aid in the center of the territory.
“Maybe the world will wake up, but it will never happen, neither for the Arabs nor for Muslims,” deplores in the same region, in Deir El-Balah Abdullah Abou Musa, on the rubble of a house. Obviously shocked, he tells AFP that his daughter and her family were killed in an Israeli strike.
“Huge gift” in Hamas
Before leaving for New York, Mr. Saar once again attacked countries like France, Great Britain and Canada, which recently announced their intention to recognize a state of Palestine. They thus make a “huge gift to Hamas”, he denounced.
“I had already warned (…) that recognizing a virtual Palestinian state would lead to killing the chances of concluding an agreement on hostages and the ceasefire. This is exactly what happened, ”he assured, in reference to the failure in July of new indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
