Israeli security officials on Saturday predicted that the ongoing military operation aimed at fully occupying Gaza City, home to over one million Palestinians, could take several months.
اضافة اعلان
This operation is part of what Israel describes as its campaign in Gaza, carried out with support from the United States.
On September 3, the Israeli army launched an offensive named Gideon 2 to occupy northern Gaza City entirely, sparking criticism and protests within Israel over concerns for the lives of prisoners and soldiers in the area.
As part of its occupation plan, since August 11, the Israeli army has completely destroyed 1,600 residential towers and buildings in Gaza City, severely damaged another 2,000 structures, and demolished 13,000 tents, displacing more than 100,000 residents who lived in these homes and tents, according to the media office.
On Saturday evening, Israel’s public broadcasting authority cited unnamed security sources saying that the ground operation to occupy Gaza City would take several months, while the prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas remains frozen.
The authority added on its website that these estimates were presented to Israeli ministers during meetings of the small security and political cabinet (the “Cabinet”).
It noted that the recent Israeli attack on Qatar is expected to further stall efforts to reach a prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas.
On Tuesday, Israel carried out an airstrike on Hamas leadership in Doha and subsequently threatened to target Palestinian leaders everywhere. Qatar condemned the strike, labeling it as state terrorism, and confirmed its right to respond. The attack resulted in the death of one internal security officer.
Hamas reported that its negotiating delegation, led by chief Khalil Al-Hayya in Gaza, survived the assassination attempt, though his office director Jihad Labad, his son Hammam Al-Hayya, and three aides—Abdullah Abdul Wahid, Moamen Hassouna, and Ahmed Abdul Malik—were killed.
The strike on Qatar occurred despite its mediating role alongside Egypt, with U.S. involvement, in indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel to reach a prisoner swap and a ceasefire in Gaza.
The attack reflects Israel’s regional escalation, following its June offensive against Iran, nearly two years of mass operations in Gaza, attacks in the occupied West Bank, and airstrikes on Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. —(Agencies)
