Defence minister Yoav Gallant tells troops they’ll see besieged territory ‘from the inside’ as army amasses around strip
Israel security officials have signalled their readiness to embark on a ground offensive into Gaza that they say will be far more comprehensive and ferocious than any previous conflict with Hamas.border on Thursday, telling them: “You see Gaza now from a distance, you will soon see it from inside. The command will come.”
Israeli officials however are adamant that they have no choice but launch a massive assault, codenamed Operation Swords of Iron. Over the past 16 years since the militant movement seized power in Gaza, they argue, Israel has fought three significant conflicts with Hamas, but they said those campaigns were aimed at keeping Hamas in check rather than destroying it.
As apprehension spread across the region of a major war, the Jordanian foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, said: “All the indications are that the worst is coming. The catastrophe will have painful consequences in coming periods.”The threat of an all-out ground war loomed just as there was some hope of humanitarian relief reaching the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza, who have been cut off from water, food and medical supplies for the past 12 days.
On a visit to Cairo, the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, said: “We need food, water, medicine and fuel now. We need it at scale and we need it to be sustained, it is not one small operation that is required.” “Insufficient aid will cause health disasters and starvation as patients with chronic diseases and pregnant women and their infants will be unable to receive the medical care and nutrition they need, and this will endanger their lives. We know that the 20 trucks of aid currently promised is simply not enough.”
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