Israel Defence Force (IDF) said, they were heading towards a new phase of the ongoing war on Hamas and will launch an assault from land, sea and air in Gaza.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari in a video message said the Hamas committed a crime against humanity on the 7th of October. He added Israel is in a war it did not start and it did not seek.
Reiterating the claim that the Hamas terrorists were using civilians as human shields in the ongoing conflict, Hagari urged the latter to move towards the south of Gaza. Hagari said, “Our fight is with Hamas, not with the people of Gaza”.
Earlier Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met families of Israelis held hostage by Hamas, who have expressed concern about the intensifying attacks on Gaza.
The Missing Families Forum said the night when troops moved into northern Gaza had been “the worst” so far. It complained that no-one had explained “whether the ground operation endangers the well-being of the 229 hostages”.
Mr Netanyahu has promised to do everything possible to bring them home. Ahead of the meeting, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said their relatives “are anxious about the fate of their loved ones and are waiting for an explanation” of the Israeli military’s actions.
In response to the statement, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said he would meet representatives of the group on Sunday.
The hostages were taken by Hamas gunmen during an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on the 7th of October in which 1,400 people were killed.