Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Pushes Further Into Gaza To Release Hamas Prisoners, Rejecting Calls For A Ceasefire

On Monday, Israeli ground troops advanced further into Gaza, liberating a soldier who had been imprisoned by Hamas terrorists and moving on the territory’s capital in tanks and other armored vehicles. While hundreds of Palestinians are taking refuge next to the injured in hospitals, the Israeli prime minister turned down requests for a cease-fire.

The first female soldier to be freed since the start of the weeks-long conflict was claimed to have been taken prisoner during Hamas’s horrific October 7 raid, according to the IDF. Pvt. Ori Megidish “is doing well,” according to a statement that indicated she had visited with her family despite the lack of specifics.

Declaring that the “achievement” by Israel’s security services “illustrates our commitment to free all the hostages,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed her home.

A cease-fire to help free prisoners or put an end to the conflict, which he has said would be protracted and challenging, was also denied.

He said during a news conference, “Calls for a cease-fire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas.” “It won’t take place.”

In the face of growing indignation at the inability of Israel’s renowned security services to stop the deadliest surprise assault on the nation in fifty years, he said that he had no intentions to step down.

It is estimated that 240 people, including men, women, and children, are being held prisoner by Hamas and other violent organizations. As Israel continues its harsh campaign that it claims is intended to destroy Hamas and put an end to its 16-year reign over the region, Netanyahu has been under increasing pressure to obtain their release.

Four hostages have been freed by Hamas, which has said it would release the other ones in exchange for thousands of Palestinian inmates detained by Israel, many of them are suspected of carrying out lethal assaults against Israelis. The ground assault “creates the possibility” of freeing the captives, according to Netanyahu, who also said that Hamas would “only do it under pressure.” Israel has rejected the offer.

On Monday, Hamas published a brief video that it said included three more female detainees. One of the ladies, perhaps under pressure, makes a short statement denouncing Israel’s handling of the hostage situation.

The date of the Hamas video’s creation remained unclear. The Associated Press often avoids covering hostage films in depth since the footage depicts people speaking while under duress and is frequently exploited for propaganda.

Regarding its activities inside Gaza, the military has been evasive regarding the location and strength of its forces. Israel has sent tens of thousands of soldiers to the border and announced a new “phase” in the conflict, but it has refrained from launching a full-scale physical invasion.

Recent actions indicate a concentration on Gaza City, including more extensive ground operations east and north of the city. A large portion of Hamas’ armed troops and militant infrastructure, including hundreds of miles (kilometers) of tunnels, Israel claims are located in Gaza City, which had a population of over 650,000 before to the war—roughly the same as that of Washington, D.C.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remain despite Israel’s orders for them to go south and out of Gaza City’s northern region, partly due to Israel’s bombardment of targets in supposedly secure zones. According to UN estimates, over 117,000 internally displaced Palestinians are being housed at hospitals in northern Gaza, together with thousands of patients and staff, in the hopes of avoiding strikes.

Nearly 672,000 Palestinians are reportedly seeking sanctuary at UNRWA’s schools and other institutions around Gaza, which are currently four times overcrowded. UNRWA is the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

The Gaza Health Ministry said on Monday that 8,300 Palestinians had died, the most of whom were women and children. In decades of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, this amount is unprecedented. In Gaza, about 1.4 million Palestinians have left their homes.

On the Israeli side, almost 1,400 people have perished—another record number—mostly civilians slain in Hamas’s first onslaught.

Social media users shared a video of an Israeli tank and bulldozer obstructing the major roadway through central Gaza, which the Israeli military has advised Palestinians use to flee south in recent weeks.

A vehicle is seen approaching an earth barrier across the road in the footage, which was captured by a local journalist. The car comes to a stop and reverses. A tank seems to catch fire as it drives away, and the automobile is completely destroyed by an explosion. In a different vehicle, the journalist flees in fear, yelling, “Go back! Go back!” at an oncoming ambulance and other cars.

Three persons were killed in the struck automobile, according to a subsequent statement from the Gaza Health Ministry.

Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari refused to comment on the whereabouts of Israeli personnel. He said that more artillery, engineering, armoured, and infantry troops had invaded Gaza and that the operations will only “expand and intensify.”

Numerous terrorists who launched attacks from tunnels and structures have reportedly been slain by armed forces. It claimed to have hit over 600 militant targets in the last several days, including antitank missile launchers and ammunition dumps. Palestinian terrorists have persisted in shooting rockets into Israel, specifically aimed at Tel Aviv, the country’s economic center.

According to Hamas, Israeli forces infiltrated the northwest and battled with its militants. Independent verification of allegations made by either side on the battlefield was not practicable.

In the meanwhile, there was an increasing danger to Gaza’s packed hospitals in the north.

The Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital for cancer patients is located close to an explosion and what seems to be a smoke column, according to video footage released by Gaza’s Health Ministry. Dr. Sobhi Skaik, the hospital’s director, said that a walkout that put patients in jeopardy had damaged the facility.

The UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs said that all ten hospitals that are open in northern Gaza have been given instructions to evacuate. Because they believe that patients on ventilators will die if they evacuate, staff members have refused to leave.

The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue organization reported that after Al Quds Hospital got two orders to evacuate from Israeli authorities on Sunday, strikes occurred within 50 meters (yards) of the hospital. Debris littered the rooms, and several windows were blown out. 14,000 people are reportedly taking refuge there.

Israel claims that it targets the infrastructure and combatants of Hamas and that the terrorists operate among civilians, endangering them.

Beyond the fighting, the situation for Gaza’s civilian population is steadily becoming worse due to a weeks-long Israeli embargo that has left food, medicine, and gasoline critically short.

Hospitals are finding it difficult to maintain emergency generators in order to run incubators and other life-saving equipment after weeks without central electricity and low gasoline. UNRWA has been working to maintain bakery operations and water pumps.

33 trucks, making up the biggest humanitarian supply convoy to yet, arrived in the country from Egypt on Sunday, while another 26 trucks arrived on Monday. According to relief workers, the quantity is still far less than what the 2.3 million people living there need.

There are worries that the violence may spread across the area as a result of the conflict. There have been continuous clashes between Israel and the terrorist Lebanese organization Hezbollah near Israel’s northern border.

Israel said that on Monday, its jets in the occupied West Bank launched airstrikes on terrorists engaged in combat with Israeli soldiers in the Jenin refugee camp. According to Hamas, four of its militants perished there. According to the UN, as of Sunday, 123 Palestinians—including 33 minors—had been murdered by Israeli police and settlers in the West Bank, with half of those deaths occurring during search and arrest operations.