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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledges to step up efforts be opposed to The United States has criticized Hamas’s entry into Gaza, saying it has caused heavy civilian casualties in recent attacks.
At the national commemoration, Netanyahu defended Israel’s conduct in the more than nine-month-long conflict, saying “Hamas is under pressure.” He stressed that this pressure stems from Israel’s success in targeting and eliminating top Hamas commander and numerous fighters.
Netanyahu insisted that despite international concern about the toll of the conflict since the October 7 Hamas attack, Israel’s firm stance and continued demands have exacerbated Hamas’s predicament.
He declared: “Now is the right time to increase the pressure, to ensure the return of all hostages, both living and dead, and to achieve all our war objectives.”
Netanyahu’s comments came as Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip intensified, with Gaza rescuers reporting more than 40 people were killed in three airstrikes within an hour on Tuesday.
Last weekend, Israel carried out a massive bombing of the security zone, killing more than 90 people. Netanyahu said the operation was aimed at Hamas military chief Mohammad Dave and one of his deputies.
Speaking at the same event, Defense Minister Yoav Galant noted that Israeli military pressure has forced Hamas leaders to focus only on their own survival. “Hamas has lost its command, control and leadership and has turned into a terrorist group without direction and a future,” Galant said.
According to AFP statistics based on Israeli data, the Hamas attack on October 7 killed a total of 1,195 people, most of whom were civilians. In addition, Palestinian militants took 251 hostages, 116 of whom are still in Gaza, and the Israeli military said 42 of them have died.
According to the Gaza Strip’s Ministry of Health, the Israeli military offensive has killed at least 38,713 people in Gaza, most of them civilians.
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