Tel Aviv [Israel], August 12: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to launch a new campaign in the Gaza Strip has received skepticism about its practical effectiveness, along with widespread opposition.
Mr. Netanyahu decided to take strong action.
AFP news agency reported yesterday (August 11) that Mr. Netanyahu continued to defend his stance on controlling Gaza City. The Israeli leader said on August 10 that a new campaign in Gaza would be launched soon, targeting Gaza City and camps in the town of al-Mawasi, which Mr. Netanyahu said were the last strongholds of the Hamas force.
Observers said Netanyahu's remarks after an Israeli security cabinet meeting on August 10 showed that the head of the Israeli government was not wavering on his plan to expand the operation to control the Gaza Strip, despite international criticism and internal concerns. The Israeli Prime Minister affirmed that the Israeli army controlled about 70-75% of Gaza territory. Hamas rejected Netanyahu's statements.
At the United Nations Security Council meeting on August 10, five countries, including the UK, France, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia, issued a joint statement condemning Israel's plan to control Gaza. Several other countries also called on Tel Aviv to move towards peaceful solutions. Under international pressure, Prime Minister Netanyahu affirmed on August 10: "We will win the war, with or without the support of other parties."
Israel continued its attacks on the Gaza Strip yesterday. Al Jazeera reported that an Israeli military raid on Gaza City on the morning of August 11 killed a family of eight. A day earlier, Israeli forces were accused of killing five Al Jazeera journalists working in the Gaza Strip. Tel Aviv accused one of the journalists of being a Hamas commander, a claim Al Jazeera denied.
Old script?
The Israeli security cabinet is said to have set an October 7 deadline for the military to complete the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people from Gaza City, before starting to send troops into the city, according to The New York Times reported on August 11. In addition, Tel Aviv also needs time to gather forces for the task of controlling Gaza.
However, the Israeli government's move is facing mixed opinions within the country, saying it could threaten the lives of the remaining hostages, prolong casualties among Israeli soldiers and civilians in Gaza, and worsen the humanitarian crisis.Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that Prime Minister Netanyahu had promised a plan to quickly defeat Hamas, but had "made a complete 180-degree turn" and decided to repeat the old script. That is, launching a new military campaign that could not solve the problem at its root, but only put enough pressure on Hamas to agree to a temporary ceasefire, releasing hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Mr. Smotrich said that if the next plan goes the same way and Hamas agrees to a deal, Israel will once again temporarily withdraw and allow the armed group Hamas to restore its forces.
Netanyahu's statements about the last strongholds controlled by Hamas also sound familiar. In February 2024, the Israeli Prime Minister said that the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip was "Hamas's last bastion," and that victory was within reach. However, the reality is that the Hamas-Israel conflict shows no signs of ending.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper