Tag: Gaza

As a “ground offensive” of the besieged Gaza Strip loomed, hundreds of Israeli tanks were deployed near the border in south Israel on Thursday, waiting for the all-clear from the country’s political establishment and the military top brass.

Israeli tanks and troops mounted on armoured vehicles were deployed in the region, seeming to suggest that a ground assault on Hamas in their backyard, Gaza, could begin any time soon.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said four rockets of nine launched from Lebanese territory were intercepted, adding that several anti-tank missiles were fired from Lebanon towards Israeli forces.

The IDF added that in response to the attacks, Israeli forces targeted the site in Lebanon from where rockets were fired into Israel and also struck at Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure using tank fire.

The Israeli forces also claimed to have thwarted and dismantled a terrorist cell using a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) of the IDF.

As Israel gears up for an all-out ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, one of the biggest challenges they face is Hamas’ extensive underground tunnel network in the area. Several experts have warned that in the event of a ground offensive, Israel will lose the clear advantage it has over Hamas in terms of firepower, as it will have to fight the enemy on its terrain.

The densely populated area with a network of tunnels is likely to pose a security challenge for the IDF as it prepares for a ground assault.

An Israel Defence Forces spokesperson on Wednesday said they were striking parts of the tunnel network, but it won’t be an easy battle.

Earlier, during a joint press briefing with US President Joe Biden, Netanyahu said the crimes that the Hamas terrorists perpetrated on civilians in Israel included rape, burning, kidnapping, and targeting small children, adding that the death toll from the Hamas terror attacks stood at 1,400 and was likely to mount.

“October 7 is another day that will live in infamy,” said Netanyahu.

He reiterated President Biden’s statement that “Hamas is worse than ISIS.”

He added, “On Oct 7 Hamas murdered 1400 Israelis in a single day….October 7th, is another day that will live in infamy. Mr President, you rightly said that Hamas is worse than ISIS. The civilised world must unite to defeat Hamas.”

Additionally, The United States deployed two carrier strike groups, each consisting of an aircraft carrier, its planes, and several escort warships, which appeared to have deterred Hezbollah from attacking Israel in a major war, The New York Times reported.

According to the NYT report, quoting American officials, the US and Israeli Intelligence agencies are working to determine whether Israel’s expected ground offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip could prompt Hezbollah to launch a large-scale military campaign against Israel from Lebanon.

The US-based daily reported that the officials have assessed that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah does not want an all-out war with Israel, for fear of the damage it would do to his group and Lebanon. U.S. officials said that assessment could change as more intelligence is gathered and events unfold.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has vetoed proposals from his government of a pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah, according to American officials and others briefed on the discussions.

Earlier, the US Defence Department reiterated its full support to Israel in the ongoing war on Hamas, saying that the US Secretary of Defence was in continuous touch with the Israeli authorities and leaders.

The US Department of Defence (DOD) said in a statement, “Since meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and members of the Israeli War Cabinet in Tel Aviv on Friday, Austin has remained fully engaged with the country’s leaders as the US works ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself from further attacks.”

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in a statement, “Since leaving Israel, he has held calls with MOD Gallant … on a near daily basis and will likely have another call today”, adding, “We are working to meet Israel’s needs, which include air defence, precision-guided munitions, artillery and medical supplies.”

In addition to quickly sending military aid to Israel, the US has bolstered its presence in the region to deter further aggression.

Over the weekend, US Defence Secretary Austin directed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group to join the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, which arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean last week.

The Navy units are part of a broader bolstering of US forces in the region. Last week, the Air Force announced the deployment of F-15 and F-16 fighter squadrons and A-10 attack squadrons to the region, according to a US Department of Defence press release. (ANI)

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Documents have revealed that the terrorist group Hamas had created detailed plans to target elementary schools and a youth centre in the Israeli kibbutz of Kfar Sa’ad, to “kill as many people as possible,” hold hostages and quickly take them into the Gaza Strip, NBC News reported.

The attack plans which have been termed “top secret” in Arabic seem to be orders for two trained Hamas units to surround and infiltrate villages and target places where civilians gather. Israeli authorities are yet to determine the death toll in Kfar Sa’ad, according to NBC News report.

The Israeli Defence Forces on Saturday confirmed that more than 120 civilians have been held captive by terrorist organisation Hamas in Gaza.

The documents found on the bodies of Hamas terrorists by Israel’s first responders include detailed maps and indicate that Hamas intended to kill or hold civilians hostage.

One page titled “Top Secret” included details of the plan for an attack on Kfar Sa’ad asking “Combat unit 1” to “contain the new Da’at school,” while “Combat unit 2” had been directed to “collect hostages,” “search the Bnei Akiva youth centre” and “search the old Da’at school,” N

Another page labelled “Top Secret Maneuver” outlined a plan for a Hamas unit to secure the Kfar Sa’ad’s east side while a second unit controls the west. According to the plan, Hamas units were directed to “kill as many as possible” and “capture hostages.” In addition, the Hamas units were asked to surround a dining hall and hold hostages in it.

The plan to attack Kfar Sa’ad is part of documents that are being analysed by Israeli officials, NBC reported citing one source in the Israeli army and one in the government. According to Israeli officials, the documents revealed that Hamas had been systematically gathering intelligence on each kibbutz which shares a border with Gaza and creating specific plans of attack for each village that included the intentional targeting of women and children.

An Israel Defence Forces source said, “The dental office, the supermarket, the dining hall,” NBC News reported. The source added, “The level of specificity would cause anyone in the intelligence field’s jaw to drop.”

The plan of coordinated attacks comes contrary to the claims made by Hamas that it did not kill children. On Friday, Hamas released a video released showing that terrorists were holding and feeding Israeli children taken hostage.

Israeli Defence Forces has reacted to the clip posted by Hamas. While sharing a video on X, Israeli Defence Forces stated, “You can see their injuries, hear their cries and feel them trembling from fear as these children are held hostage in their own homes by Hamas terrorists and their parents lie there dead in the next room. These are the terrorists that we are going to defeat.”

Meanwhile, Yossi Landau, a commander of ZAKA, an Israeli first responder organization, said, “I saw murdered babies. I saw murdered children. I saw mothers and children murdered together,” NBC News reported.

The documents showed that two Hamas units were to approach Kfar Sa’ad from two different assembly points, NBC News reported. Kibbutz Kfar Aza was one of the worst-hit regions in Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7.

On Tuesday, bodies of Israeli residents and Hamas attackers were found outside burned-out houses in the Israeli kibbutz Kfar Aza, CNN reported. According to a CNN report, overturned mattresses, damaged furniture and houses in Kfar Aza were ransacked and set ablaze showing the scale of devastation caused by Israel in the region. (ANI)

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In a move to retaliate against Hamas terror attacks in Israel, Israeli soldiers, their tanks and munitions have been deployed near the Gaza border as they prepare for a full ground offensive against Hamas.

In the pictures coming in from the Gaza border, tanks can be seen firing shells towards the Gaza Strip. Moreover, soldiers are seen loading artillery shells into howitzers.

Adding to this, Israeli infantry troops have been moving closer to the Gaza border in anticipation of a full ground offensive on Hamas.

Earlier in the day, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) asked residents of the Northern Gaza Strip to relocate to the southern part of the enclave using evacuation corridors between 10 am to 4 pm (local time), The Times of Israel reported.

The Israeli military said, “If you care about yourself and your loved ones, go south as instructed.” It further said, “Rest assured that Hamas leaders have taken care of themselves and are taking cover from strikes in the region.”

Their message indicated that the IDF could be readying to launch a ground invasion in response to Hamas’s attack on October 7.

However, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel to “reconsider” its warning, calling it “dangerous and deeply troubling,” according to The New York Times.

Guterres in an opinion article in The New York Times emphasized that such demand for a mass evacuation on extremely short notice could have devastating humanitarian consequences.

The IDF has confirmed that over 120 civilians are being held captive in Gaza by the Hamas terrorist organization. Israeli Defence Forces on Saturday said 1300 people have lost their lives and over 3000 have been injured in the Hamas terror attacks on Israel.

The Israeli Air Force has said that the IDF continues the effort to move the residents of the Gaza Strip in order to protect them in the Gaza Strip. The IDF said a call was sent out to residents of Gaza using a variety of different means in an attempt to minimize the harm to non-combatants. IDF said Hamas terrorists are hiding in terror tunnels located under the houses in Gaza City and in civilian buildings.

The Israel Defence Forces said infantry forces and tanks entered the Gaza Strip on Friday in “localized raids” to clear the area of potential terrorists and locate missing citizens of Israel in a likely precursor to a full-scale incursion in response to Hamas’s attack, The Times of Israel reported. (ANI)

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