NU.nl regularly provides you with an overview of the situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories. From this point of view: Israel wants to postpone the ground attack in Gaza at the request of the US. Also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will explain “in due course” how Israel was surprised by Hamas at the start of the war.
Developments in Israel and the Palestinian territories are coming in rapid succession. So we keep listing the latest events. Subscribe to the ‘Gaza Conflict Update’ tag to get notified when another overview is posted.
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US media have reported in recent days that the US has asked Israel to delay the ground attack. among others The New York Times And CBS News Sources say the Americans are hoping for more time for negotiations to release the hostages.
According to Israel Wall Street magazine The request was accepted. Sources within the US and Israeli governments told the newspaper that the US could also install more air defense systems this way. There have been several attacks on Americans in recent weeks.
Initially, analysts expected the ground offensive in Gaza to begin a week earlier. But Israel later decided to wait longer to give the area’s residents a chance to flee. Tanks and thousands of soldiers have been preparing for a possible invasion of Israel for days.
Netanyahu: ‘I will be held accountable’
Prime Minister Netanyahu did not comment on Wednesday’s ground attack. He said responsibility for the October 7 incident would be taken “in due course”. Israel was surprised that day by the massive attack by Hamas. More than 1,400 people in Israel were killed in that attack.
“The wrongdoing will be investigated and everyone will be held accountable, including me. But all this will happen later,” Netanyahu said on television.
He also stated that as Prime Minister he is responsible for securing Israel’s future.
The Israeli military said that Hamas tried to infiltrate by sea
According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the Palestinian militant group Hamas has attempted to infiltrate into Israel through the sea north of the Gaza Strip. Marines reportedly found the divers and stopped the attack.
The IDF said the divers planned to enter Kibbutz Zigim via the beach. Casualties were reported in the clashes. Israel says it has retaliated with airstrikes targeting militants from the Gaza Strip. Neither incident has been independently verified.
Hamas also said it fired a rocket at the Israeli resort of Eilat on Wednesday. The place is 220 kilometers from the Gaza Strip. Israeli Defense Forces to confirm A long-range missile was fired and no one was injured.
As far as we know, this is the first time since the war that Hamas has launched a rocket attack on a site so far from Gaza.
Israel fired on targets in Syria
Israel also said it struck military infrastructure in Syria on Wednesday. It would have been in response to a Syrian missile strike.
This is not the first time the two countries have attacked each other since the war between Israel and Hamas. On Sunday, Israel launched airstrikes on two international airports in Syria. As a result, Damascus and Aleppo airports were rendered inoperable.
Syrian state news agency Sana Airstrikes reportedly claimed the lives of at least eight soldiers. At least seven people were reportedly injured. On the other hand, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights speaks of eleven deaths.
UN buildings in Gaza were also attacked
As fighting continues in Gaza, United Nations shelters are strained. More than 600,000 displaced people are now housed in the Gaza Strip: more than four times the capacity of the area’s existing reception facilities.
“Many sleep on the streets,” writes a spokesperson. In addition, some reception areas have been damaged by airstrikes on Gaza. At least dozens of buildings are said to have already been hit. On Wednesday, a school with a population of about 4,600 was said to have suffered “severe damage”. One displaced person has died.
According to the United Nations, the region is running out of fuel, making aid delivery difficult. Of the thirteen thousand employees, only five thousand are still working. Since the start of the war, 38 workers have been killed and twenty injured.
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