Israel Formalizes War on Gaza, Troops Are in the Heart of Gaza City

Israel has officially commenced urban warfare in the Gaza Strip.

In a TV address on the afternoon of the 7th (local time), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “Gaza City is under siege,” and “Our military is operating inside it, intensifying pressure on Hamas every day, every hour.”

Netanyahu emphasized, “A war is underway in the south with a force that Hamas has never seen before,” and “thousands of terrorists have been eliminated on the ground and in tunnels, and numerous Hamas command posts, positions, and tunnels have been destroyed through ground operations.”

Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Defense Minister, also stated in a press conference broadcast live on TV just before Netanyahu’s speech, “The Israeli military is now in the heart of Gaza City,” and “Gaza City is the largest terrorist base in history.” He continued, “IDF forces have entered the Gaza Strip from the north and south,” and “they are deploying with engineers on foot or in armored vehicles and tanks.”

Minister Gallant said, “We are heading towards one goal, the terrorists in the Gaza Strip and their infrastructure, commanders, bunkers, and communication centers, and we are tightening the noose around Gaza.”

Regarding Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Minister Gallant explained, “He is hiding in a bunker and is out of contact with his colleagues.” Regarding a temporary ceasefire on humanitarian grounds, he said, “My top priority is the hostages held by the beasts,” and “there will be no humanitarian ceasefire without the release of the hostages.”

Until now, Israel has not disclosed the locations of its military units engaged in ground warfare. However, the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister publicly stating the fact that Gaza City is under siege simultaneously is interpreted as an official start of urban warfare.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced that it has struck more than 10,000 facilities in the one month since the start of the war. Brigadier General Daniel Hagari, the senior spokesperson for the Israeli military, said, “So far, we have struck over 14,000 Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip and destroyed more than 100 underground tunnel entrances.”

By. Yoon Ju Hae