Israel’s Netanyahu Says Hamas War Inside Gaza ‘Will Be Long and Difficult’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the country is entering the “second stage” of its ground operations against Hamas in Gaza as part of efforts to defeat the Palestinian militant group. Addressing a press conference in Tel Aviv on Saturday, Netanyahu warned Israelis to expect a “long and hard” campaign. He said the goals of the military campaign are clear: “destroying Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, and bringing the captives back home.”

Flanked by the members of the War Cabinet, Netanyahu said Israel has made the decision to expand ground operations unanimously. “The war inside the Gaza Strip will be long and difficult – and we are ready for it. This our second war of independence. We will fight to defend our homeland. We will fight and not retreat. We will fight on land, at sea and in the air. We will destroy the enemy above ground and below ground. We will fight and we will win,” he added.

This comes as reports state that Israel has tightened its blockade and bombarded Gaza for three weeks since Hamas’ devastating October 7 attack. At least 1,400 Israelis were killed in the deadliest day of the nation’s 75-year history. As Israel continued to push their military campaign, Gaza’s besieged residents faced a near-total communications and Internet blackout as Israel’s warplanes dropped bombs and its troops and armour pushed into the Hamas-ruled enclave.

Though Netanyahu claimed the support of Western countries, led by the United States, there is international pressure over the rising death toll from the bombing in Gaza. Medical authorities in the Gaza Strip, which has a population of 2.3 million people, say over 7,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s campaign to obliterate Hamas.

Israel has massed tens of thousands of troops along the Gaza border raising expectations of a full-blown invasion, with its soldiers also making limited ground incursions on Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday night, Israel sent troops and tanks into Gaza, focusing on infrastructure including the extensive tunnel network built by Hamas, the Israeli military said. It provided no details on the size of the deployment.

During Saturday’s press conference, Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s call for Palestinian civilians to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip where Israel was focusing its attack on what it was were Hamas hideouts and other installations. However, reports say nowhere is safe, with bombs also smashing homes in the south of the densely populated territory. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding “in front of our eyes.” The UN Security Council plans to meet on Monday on the Israel-Gaza crisis.

Qatar-mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas continued but at a much slower pace than before Friday’s escalation in Gaza, a source briefed on the talks said.  The United States and other Western countries had urged Israel to hold off on launching a major ground offensive for fear of high Palestinian casualties and a widening conflict, as well as to give more time for hostage negotiations. But U.S. officials said it was up to Israel to make its own decisions.

(With agency inputs)