Israeli forces bombed central Gaza from land, sea and air on Wednesday, the 27th of December, with Israel’s Chief of General Staff saying in a televised statement on Tuesday that the war against Hamas would continue for “many more months”, stressing the need for determined efforts to destroy the terrorist organisation no matter how long it takes, reports Reuters.
Israeli Chief of General Staff Halevi said there were no “magic solutions” or “shortcuts” to the situation, adding that Israel knew from the start that this would be a long war.
Israeli activity in Gaza intensified around Christmas, especially in the central part of the territory. The Israeli military reported on Wednesday that three more soldiers had been killed in the Gaza Strip, bringing the total number of soldiers killed in the enclave to 166.
Palestinian health authorities say nearly 21 000 people have died in the 11-week Israeli bombardment,
and thousands more are likely to be buried under the rubble.
The UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday expressed grave concern over the continued bombardment of central Gaza by Israeli forces, which has killed more than 100 Palestinians since Christmas Eve.
Israel says it is taking measures to protect civilians and claims that the high number of civilian casualties is due to the Hamas group operating among the civilians.
Israel’s ally the US has urged Israel to do more to reduce civilian casualties, criticising what President Joe Biden called “indiscriminate bombing”.
There are growing signs that the conflict is spreading, with Yemeni Houthi fighters claiming responsibility for attacks on ships in the Red Sea and an attempted drone strike on Israel.
Despite growing calls for a ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to attack the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, vowing to destroy the terrorist group for its attack on Israel on the 7th of October which took 1 200 Israeli lives and during which 240 hostages were captured.
Also read: Israeli-Hamas conflict resumes after truce
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