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“Hamas, unfortunately, understands military pressure,” Netanyahu’s foreign policy advisor Ophir Falk told The Associated Press.
Israel restarted the war last Tuesday, resulting in the death of about 600 Palestinians. The country had already stopped the flow of essential supplies such as food, fuel, and aid to about 2 million people in Gaza. This move was intended to pressurize Hamas during ceasefire negotiations.
The international community has condemned the resumed attacks.
The initial assault in 2023, carried out by militants under Hamas, caused the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals, predominantly civilians, and led to 251 people being taken as hostages. Through various ceasefire agreements and negotiations, most of the hostages have been released. Eight hostages were rescued alive by Israeli forces, and several bodies have also been recovered.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s retaliatory attacks have resulted in the deaths of over 49,000 Palestinians. While the number of militants among the deceased is unspecified, the Ministry reports that more than half of the casualties were women and children. Israel claims to have neutralized around 20,000 militants, although no concrete evidence has been provided to validate this assertion.
Uproar over Shin Bet chief
Tens of thousands of Israelis on Saturday again protested the government’s failure to negotiate a hostage deal and its move to fire the head of the country’s Shin Bet internal security service. They called for new elections.
The Supreme Court has ordered a temporary halt to Ronen Bar’s dismissal until an appeal is heard. Israel’s attorney general has ruled that the Cabinet has no legal basis to dismiss him.
Netanyahu said in a statement late Saturday that Bar “will not remain the head of the Shin Bet” and “Israel will remain a democratic state.” He argued that his loss of confidence in Bar long predates the Shin Bet investigation into illicit ties between several of his aides and Qatar.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for a tax rebellion and general strike if the government defies the court ruling, saying: “If this happens, the entire country needs to grind to a halt.”
