On January 15, the Israeli Defense Minister estimated that the intensive phase of the war “will end soon” in the southern Gaza Strip, where Israeli strikes are currently strongest. “We clearly said that the intensive stage of operations would last approximately three months”, “in the south, we will achieve it and it will end soon”, declared Yoav Gallant, according to whom “the moment will arrive when we will enter the next phase” of the war in Gaza.
The Minister of Defense also spoke of the post-war period, explaining that the Palestinians will “govern” the Gaza Strip after the war, when the Palestinian Islamist movement “no longer threatens” Israel. “Palestinians live” in the Gaza Strip, “so the Palestinians will govern (it) in the future. The future government of Gaza must emanate from the Gaza Strip and must be based on forces that do not threaten the State of Israel,” he explained.
Death of two hostages
Furthermore, the Israeli army denounced “the brutal use of hostages of innocent people” after the broadcast by Hamas of a new video in which the Palestinian Islamist group announces the death of two Israelis kidnapped on October 7 and held in the Gaza Strip. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari rejected Hamas’ claims that the two hostages were killed in Israeli bombing, calling the statements “lies.”
This article is originally published on jeuneafrique.com
