The Israeli military says it has expanded its ground operation against the Hamas militant group to “every part” of the Gaza Strip. The army resumed its offensive on Friday after a weeklong cease-fire expired. After focusing its ground operation on the northern part of Gaza in recent weeks, it began carrying out airstrikes in southern Gaza as well. The vast majority of Gaza’s population has fled to the south in search of safety.
Quick Read
- Expansion of Israeli Ground Operation: The Israeli military has expanded its ground operation against Hamas to cover every part of the Gaza Strip, following the end of a weeklong cease-fire.
- Shin Bet’s Commitment: Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet, stated that the agency is prepared to target Hamas everywhere, including outside Gaza.
- Netanyahu’s Corruption Trial Resumes: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial has resumed. He faces charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes.
- Social Media Posts by Freed Israeli Hostages: Young Israelis recently freed from Hamas captivity have returned to social media, sharing their experiences and updates through platforms like TikTok.
- British Government’s Drone Mission: The UK plans to use unarmed surveillance drones over Gaza to locate hostages taken by Hamas. This initiative aims to help rescue hostages, including British nationals, still held captive.
The Associated Press has the story:
Israel says it has expanded ground operations to ‘every part of Gaza Stripe’
Newslooks- JERUSALEM (AP)
The army resumed its offensive on Friday after a weeklong cease-fire expired. After focusing its ground operation on the northern part of Gaza in recent weeks, it began carrying out airstrikes in southern Gaza as well. The vast majority of Gaza’s population has fled to the south in search of safety.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said late Sunday that ground troops were also pushing into the south.
“The Israeli army is continuing and expanding the ground operation against the Hamas presence in every part of the Gaza Strip,” he said.
HEAD OF SHIN BET SAYS IT WILL DESTROY HAMAS ‘IN EVERY PLACE’
TEL AVIV, Israel — The head of Israel’s domestic security agency, Shin Bet, says his organization is prepared to destroy Hamas “in every place,” including in other Middle Eastern countries.
The remarks by Ronen Bar, aired late Sunday by Israel’s public broadcaster Kan, echoed similar comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister last month.
“In every place, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar, everywhere,” Bar said in an audio recording. “It’ll take a few years but we will be there to do it.”
Bar compared the mission to Israel’s operation to assassinate militants behind the 1972 killings of members of its Olympic team in Munich, Germany.
Kan did not say when Bar made the remarks.
Most of Hamas’ top leadership lives in exile, primarily in the Gulf state of Qatar, a key player in bringing about the recently expired truce between Israel and Hamas, and the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
Israel’ Mossad spy agency has been accused of involvement in a series of assassinations overseas of Palestinian militants and Iranian nuclear scientists over the years.
NETANYAHU’S CORRUPTION TRIAL RESUMES
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial has resumed after a hiatus prompted by the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the war it set off.
Netanyahu is on trial for alleged fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases involving powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. He denies any wrongdoing.
In Monday’s hearing, police investigators will be questioned over allegations that Netanyahu promoted regulatory benefits for a telecom company in exchange for favorable coverage from a news outlet it owned.
Netanyahu’s lengthy trial, which began in 2020, was paused after the Hamas attack, when the country’s courts were put under emergency status and all but shut down. The last hearing took place at the end of September.
YOUNG ISRAELI HOSTAGES RETURN TO SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER BEING FREED
TEL AVIV, Israel — Freed from Hamas captivity, several young Israelis are doing what young people do and are posting to TikTok.
Dancing, keeping up with trends or just thanking their followers, several young Israelis have begun appearing on social media just days after they were freed.
Alma Or, 13, who was released after 50 days in captivity, posted a video in which she dances with a friend under the text “Roses are red this trend might be over but I’ve just been freed from Hamas captivity.”
Sahar Kalderon, 16, posted a video of herself and a friend dancing to a beat-infused track in front of a mirror, under text reading “The sound that crossed though my head the moment I came home from captivity.”
Another freed captive, Gali Tarshansky, 13, has posted at least two videos since being freed, with one captioned “Captives humor.”
Under a now-expired truce deal, Hamas released 105 Israeli and foreign captives it snatched on Oct. 7. Most returned physically well but doctors have cautioned it will take time for them to heal emotionally from their weeks in captivity. Four other hostages were released before the truce and one was rescued.
BRITAIN TO USE DRONES TO SEARCH FOR HOSTAGES IN GAZA
LONDON — The British government said its military plans to fly unarmed surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip in search of hostages taken by Hamas.
The Ministry of Defense said the flights will not have a combat role and the only information passed on will be for the purpose of rescuing hostages still held since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
The fate of the hostages, including British nationals, has been a key concern as a weeklong cease-fire ended Friday and Israel began a new round of bombardments. During the break in fighting, Hamas released 110 hostages but another 137 remain captive, Israel said.
“Having had around 100 hostages released, there are still many more who are being held captive by Hamas,” Health Secretary Victoria Atkins told Sky News on Sunday. “We want to do everything we can to help find those hostages and to secure their release.”
Atkins said unmanned drones will be used to conduct the surveillance.
