The Israeli Defense Minister says that the Israeli forces will remain in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely, as the army tightens its grip on many occupied areas.
“Unlike the past, (the Israeli army) does not sit with the areas that have been cleared and seized,” Israel said in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement said that the army “will remain in the security areas as a temporary store between the enemy and the (Israeli) societies in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza – as in Lebanon and Syria.”
The army said that it had turned 30 percent from Gaza into a “security” buffer zone and has hit about 1,200 “terrorist targets” since its attack on March 18, following a truce for nearly two months in Gaza with the Palestinian group Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to inform Hamas and return 59 prisoners held by armed groups in Gaza, including 24 who Israel believes alive. Hamas said it would not agree to the release of the prisoners without the withdrawal of a complete Israeli from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire.
On Wednesday, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Group released a video of the prisoner Rom Braslavski. He seemed to be under coercion, and said he was cheerful, and asked Netanyahu to stop the war. The main organization, which represents the families of prisoners, accused the Israeli government in a statement “choosing to seize lands before the hostages.”
Israel says it should maintain control over what the “security areas” calls to prevent the recurrence of Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,139 people were killed and 250 others – including prisoners who have already been released by Hamas, have disappeared, and those who are still being held by the group.
Netanyahu also said that Israel will implement US President Donald Trump an offer To resettle many Gaza population in other countries through what Netanyahu refers to the name of “voluntary immigration”.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that Israel’s continuous presence in some areas of southern Lebanon “hinders” the full publication of the Lebanese army as required before The ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.
According to the deal signed in November, which has ended more than a year of the war, both parties agreed to withdraw from southern Lebanon and left the Lebanese army -controlled area. However, Israel has only partially withdrawn its forces from the south of the country, leaving the soldiers in at least five locations.
The Ministry of Health, Lebanon, said that two Israeli drones in southern Lebanon killed two people on Wednesday. Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed more than 70 civilians since it entered the ceasefire in November.
Israel has also established many military positions inside Syrian territory, including the Hermon Mountain Summit, after warplanes fired hundreds of strikes in the wake of Former Syrian President Bashar al -Assad was expelled.
The Israeli government immediately revealed A position towards the new Syrian government Under the leadership of the former opposition group, Haya Tarr al -Sham (HTS), describing it, “a terrorist group from Idlib, which took Damascus by force,” and since then she refused to withdraw from the lands he seized.
“No humanitarian assistance” to enter Gaza
Katz said in a statement about X that Israel’s policy was “clear.”
“No humanitarian aid will be allowed to Gaza,” said the Minister of Defense on Wednesday.
He added that preventing humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip “is one of the main pressure tools that prevent Hamas from using these means against the population.”
“In the current reality, no one will allow any humanitarian assistance in Gaza, and no preparations are made to allow any of this kind.”
Israeli Minister of Culture, Mickey Zohar, chanted this position, saying: “The awakening killers in Gaza does not deserve any humanitarian assistance from any civil or military mechanism.”
Zohar said on X.
The Israeli authorities have prevented all aid from entering Gaza for more than six weeks, which has already increased the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.
On Wednesday, the United Nations rejected a new license mechanism claimed to provide greater control of the delivery of aid in Gaza by the Israeli forces, saying that the relief organizations already have a mechanism to ensure that aid is not transferred to Hamas.
“Aid has been delivered to Gaza a long time,” the United Nations said, adding that its teams were “ready to provide assistance to the most needy delegates on the basis of humanitarian principles.”
Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes continued on Wednesday, with at least 25 people in attacks throughout Gaza. Palestinian journalist Fatima Hasounier and 10 members of her family were killed in an Israeli air strike targeting their house in Gaza City.
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