LIVE | Israel-Hamas war Day 33: Israel Cabinet to meet in West Bank after ‘warning’
The Israeli military has said that its ground forces are now fighting in “the depths” of Gaza City. The comments signalled a new stage by the Israeli military as it moves in toward what it says is the headquarters and stronghold of the Hamas militant group. Speaking to reporters, the chief military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said that Israeli ground forces “are located right now in a ground operation in the depths of Gaza City and putting great pressure on Hamas”.
Meanwhile, top diplomats from the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrial democracies announced a unified stance on the Israel-Hamas war on Wednesday after intensive meetings in Tokyo, condemning Hamas, supporting Israel's right to self-defence and calling for “humanitarian pauses” to speed aid to desperate Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the nations sought to balance criticism of Hamas' attacks against Israel and a push for “urgent action” to help civilians in the besieged Palestinian enclave in need of food, water, medical care and shelter.
Earlier on Tuesday (November 7), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel was making great progress in its war, saying that the army has killed thousands of Hamas fighters.
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Israel’s wartime security Cabinet will meet late Wednesday in the West Bank offices of the military’s Central Command “due to warnings by security officials about the potential for a serious escalation in violence” in the territory, the Ynet website reported, citing a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
Israeli media reported last week that the Shin Bet security agency issued such a warning, noting an increase in violence by Jewish settlers.
Deadly violence has been surging in the Israeli-occupied West Bank as Israel's military pursues Hamas militants following the group's bloody Oct 7 incursion into Israel from the Gaza Strip.
The violence threatens to open another front in the war Israel launched against Hamas after it killed more than 1,400 people in southern Israel and took more than 240 people hostage.
As of Tuesday, 167 Palestinians had been killed in the West Bank over the past month, mainly in clashes with Israeli troops. The toll since the beginning of the year was 371.
Some of the dead have been killed in violent anti-Israel protests, and Palestinians have said eight people were killed in attacks by settlers, who have intensified assaults and provocations since the war began.
Daily Israeli military arrest raids in the territory have intensified, with once-rare aerial attacks becoming much more common. The military said Wednesday that 1,430 wanted men have been arrested in the West Bank since Oct 7, including more than 900 from Hamas. (AP)Al Jazeera has reported unconfirmed developments in Gaza. Witnesses claimed that Israeli soldiers are moving closer to Gaza City center, approximately 700 meters from al-Shifa hospital. Israel has claimed that Hamas has a command center based at the hospital. Additionally, there were reports of serious injuries after Israeli gunboats targeted a public school where displaced people were sheltering in Gaza's west.
Top diplomats from the Group of Seven leading industrial democracies announced a unified stance on the Israel-Hamas war on Wednesday after intensive meetings in Tokyo, condemning Hamas, supporting Israel's right to self-defence and calling for “humanitarian pauses” to speed aid to desperate Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the nations sought to balance criticism of Hamas' attacks against Israel and a push for “urgent action” to help civilians in the besieged Palestinian enclave in need of food, water, medical care and shelter.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and foreign ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Italy emphasised that they “support humanitarian pauses to facilitate urgently needed assistance, civilian movement and release of hostages.” There was also condemnation of “the rise in extremist settler violence committed against Palestinians,” which the ministers said is “unacceptable, undermines security in the West Bank, and threatens prospects for a lasting peace.” — AP
Jonathan Conricus, serving as a spokesperson for the Israeli military during the conflict, referred to the Hamas leadership both inside and outside of Gaza as "dead men walking" in an interview with Sky News in Australia.
Refreshing questions actually pertaining to the fighting and situation on the ground. We're making solid progress according to plan, and we intend to keep at it until we dismantle Hamas and return the hostages. With @ljayes on @SkyNews pic.twitter.com/Zdg8yW2wiT
— Jonathan Conricus (@jconricus) November 8, 2023
Israel's defence minister, Yoav Gallant, stated that the country will maintain "complete freedom of action to respond to any situation in the Gaza Strip" after the war concludes. Gallant underscored that, "following this 'campaign,' Hamas, whether as a military entity or a governing body in Gaza, will no longer exist."
Doctors Without Borders reported the death of Mohammed Al Ahel, a laboratory technician for the organisation in Gaza, on November 6, during a bombing in the Shati refugee camp. Several members of his family also died in the bombing.
The humanitarian organisation said Al Ahel had worked with them for more than two years and was at his home when the area was bombed and his building collapsed.
“Our repeated calls for an immediate ceasefire have gone unanswered,” the charity said in a statement on Tuesday (November 7). “But we insist that a ceasefire is the only way to prevent more senseless deaths across Gaza and allow adequate humanitarian aid into the Strip.”
Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad, speaking on Tuesday (November 7) from Beirut, denied that Israeli forces were making any significant military gains or that they had advanced deep into Gaza City.
“They never give the people the truth,” Hamad said. He added that numerous Israeli soldiers were killed on Monday and “many tanks were destroyed.” “The Palestinians fight and fight and fight against Israel, until we end the occupation,” said Hamad, who left Gaza days before the attack.
Israel's military says it has killed thousands of Hamas fighters in the month-long war. The Associated Press could not independently verify the claims of either side.