This occurred during a secret briefing presented by the official to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday, according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. The Israeli official pointed out that Turkey has shown interest in supporting mediation efforts, which have stalled since the Israeli raid in Doha on September 9. The official added that Hamas is currently working on enhancing its capabilities by recruiting new fighters, rebuilding the tunnel network, studying previous military operations, and preparing explosives.
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz threatened Hamas on Wednesday, stating that they must release the hostages or face the complete destruction of Gaza if they do not comply with the conditions. Katz published a new tweet on his official X account on Wednesday evening, explaining that “with the start of the ground maneuver and the transfer of command responsibility to field unit leaders, 25 towers in Gaza were destroyed, which is a significant and important number.”
He continued, “To eliminate any sniper threats over the maneuvering forces, saboteurs were foiled and infrastructure was destroyed. Residents of Gaza were also asked to move south for their protection.” Israel continues its war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, which has resulted in the deaths of about 64,000 Palestinians and approximately 163,000 injured. Israel also conducts frequent airstrikes on several countries in the region, including Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Qatar, in addition to its 12-day-long war against Iran.
