Israeli forces announced on Monday (January 15) that they were ending the intensive phase of their ground offensive in northern Gaza. Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defense minister, said his forces would now focus on eliminating pockets of resistance through air raids, special operations and other activities. The statement comes just days after Hamas released a video announcing the deaths of two Israeli hostages, claiming they were killed in Israeli airstrikes.
The hostage situation has sparked great emotion in the country and the relentless campaign by the families has garnered widespread support and sympathy, increasing pressure on the Israeli government to make concessions in order to secure their release. Yet Gallant rejected calls for a ceasefire, refusing any change in policy.
According to him, “If the fire stops, the fate of the hostages will be sealed for many years in the hands of Hamas. Without military pressure, no one will talk to us, and without military pressure, we will not be able to reach agreements. This Only in a position of strength can the hostages be freed.”
The Israeli military strategy has mainly affected Palestinian women and children in Gaza, who represent two-thirds of the 23,968 victims. One million people now face starvation and the spread of disease, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned again on Monday (January 15).
“While some steps have been taken to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, life-saving relief is not reaching people who have endured months of relentless aggression to the extent needed,” he said.
“Since the start of the year, only 7 of 29 missions aimed at providing aid in the north have been carried out,” he added. “Long stretches of the agreed routes cannot be taken due to intense fighting and debris, with convoys also under threat from undefused explosive devices.”
The Israeli army indicated that the intensive phase would soon come to an end in the Khan Younis area in the southern Gaza Strip. She estimates that her Gaza campaign will likely last until the end of 2024.
According to army figures, 189 soldiers have been killed and 1,099 wounded since the start of the ground offensive.