Israeli Prime Minister Vows to Pursue Hamas in Gaza Strip
By E. Thompson
In a defiant move that could further escalate tensions in the region, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the military operation in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip, despite an Egypt-brokered cease-fire agreement.
In a televised address to the nation on Friday night, Netanyahu said that Israel would not be bound by the cease-fire accord and would continue to pursue Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, until its terrorist infrastructure had been destroyed.
We have no intention of ending our military operation in Rafah until we achieve our objectives, Netanyahu said. We will not allow Hamas to continue to fire rockets at our cities and towns with impunity.
The Israeli military launched its offensive in Rafah on Thursday, after a Hamas attack on an Israeli patrol killed two soldiers and wounded four others. The operation has so far resulted in the deaths of at least 25 Palestinians, including 10 civilians.
The Egyptian-brokered cease-fire agreement was supposed to take effect at 8 a.m. on Friday. However, Israel and Hamas both accused each other of violating the terms of the agreement within hours of its implementation.
Israel has said that it will only abide by the cease-fire if Hamas stops firing rockets into Israel and releases the bodies of two Israeli soldiers who were killed in the initial Hamas attack.
Hamas, on the other hand, has said that it will not release the bodies of the soldiers until Israel releases the hundreds of Palestinian prisoners who were arrested in the West Bank and East Jerusalem following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in June.
The ongoing violence in Gaza has raised fears of a wider regional conflict. On Friday, the United Nations Security Council called for an immediate cease-fire and expressed grave concern about the situation in Gaza.
The U.S. government has also urged both sides to implement the cease-fire agreement. However, it is unclear whether the U.S. will take any further action if the violence continues.
Key Issues:
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the Israeli military operation in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip, despite an Egypt-brokered cease-fire agreement.
- The Egyptian-brokered cease-fire agreement was supposed to take effect at 8 a.m. on Friday, but both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the terms of the agreement.
- The ongoing violence in Gaza has raised fears of a wider regional conflict.
- The United Nations Security Council has called for an immediate cease-fire and expressed grave concern about the situation in Gaza.
Kind regards,
E. Thompson
