Daily Times

Israel’s Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, has asserted that the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza is expected to endure for an extended period, spanning several months. This statement comes amidst growing concerns about the potential for the conflict to escalate, as evidenced by a series of incidents outside the Gaza Strip. Despite international appeals for a ceasefire, Israel remains resolute in its determination to dismantle Hamas.

The intensity of Israeli actions notably heightened around the Christmas period, particularly in a central area just south of the Gaza Strip, prompting the Israeli army to issue evacuation orders to civilians. However, many residents expressed difficulty finding safe havens, underscoring the humanitarian challenges associated with the conflict.

The United Nations, through its Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango, voiced grave concerns over the continuous bombardment of Middle Gaza by Israeli forces. Magango emphasized the imperative for Israeli forces to take all available measures to protect civilians, emphasizing that warnings and evacuation orders do not absolve them of their international humanitarian law obligations.

Since a deadly incident on October 7, in which Hamas killed 1,200 people and captured 240 hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded with a sustained assault, resulting in substantial destruction in the Hamas-ruled Gaza. According to Palestinian health authorities, nearly 21,000 people have lost their lives in Israeli strikes, with thousands feared trapped under rubble. The conflict has forced almost the entire population of the enclave, totaling 2.3 million people, to flee their homes, often repeatedly.

On Tuesday, Gaza authorities buried 80 unidentified Palestinians whose bodies were handed over by Israel through the Kerem Shalom border crossing. The bodies, collected from the northern part of the Gaza Strip, were laid to rest in a Rafah cemetery in the south, according to the Islamic Waqf.

Israel maintains that it is taking measures to protect civilians and attributes civilian casualties to Hamas operating among them, a claim that Hamas denies. Even the United States, Israel’s close ally, has urged Israel to do more to minimize civilian deaths from what President Joe Biden has termed “indiscriminate bombing.”

The conflict is displaying signs of spreading, with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia claiming responsibility for a missile attack on a container ship in the Red Sea and attempting to target Israel with drones. In a separate incident, an Israeli airstrike in Syria resulted in the death of a senior leader of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

On the Lebanon border, Israel reported that Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles at a church, causing injuries to nine Israeli soldiers and a civilian. Subsequently, Israel responded with airstrikes.

In India, near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi, an explosion occurred, though no embassy staff were reported injured.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant highlighted the complexity of the situation, stating, “We are in a multi-front war and are coming under attack from seven theatres: Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), Iraq, Yemen, and Iran.” He noted that Israel had already taken action in six of these theatres but did not specify the one awaiting Israeli action.

Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer engaged in talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan in Washington on Tuesday. Discussions covered the ongoing war and efforts for the return of hostages, as confirmed by the White House. The United States, while openly advocating for Israel to scale down its military operations, continues to be perceived as a supporter of Israel in the region. Recent U.S. military airstrikes in Iraq, in response to an attack on a U.S. base, underscore the intricate and escalating dynamics of the situation.