Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), on Saturday declared that the military will increase airstrikes on Gaza starting today (Sunday).
‘We’ll deepen our strikes, minimise the risks to our forces in the next stages of the war and we’re going to increase the attacks from today,’ he said at a news conference which was monitored by Africa Today News, New York.
Hagari appealed to residents of Gaza City ‘to continue moving south for their safety’.
The Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, also told IDF commanders Saturday that the military is readying an operation to enter Gaza and take out Hamas.
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‘We’ll enter the Gaza Strip. We’ll embark on an operational and professional task to destroy Hamas operatives and infrastructures,’ the chief said in comments to the Golani Brigade of the IDF, as reported by CNN.
The Israeli military began carrying out retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza following Hamas’s surprise attacks on Israel two weeks ago, which killed more than 1,400 people.
Palestinian health officials say more than 4,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then.
Israel is widely expected to launch a ground offensive into the Gaza Strip soon, but the timing remains unknown.
Meanwhile, as part of his Middle East itinerary, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Egypt.
In a unified stance, Sunak and Abbas censured the attacks by Hamas on Israel, with the former prime minister expressing profound regret for the civilian deaths in Gaza.
Another key discussion took place with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, where they both spoke about the importance of preventing the escalation of conflict.
Africa Today News, New York, Learned that the Prime Minister appealed for the immediate reopening of the Egypt-Gaza border, highlighting the presence of approximately 20 aid trucks ready for entry.