This was stated in a military statement issued today, Saturday, where Zamir said: “We will know in the coming days whether we will be able to reach an agreement to free the hostages, otherwise the battle will continue vigorously.” Zamir added that “the war continues, and we will adapt it according to the changing reality in a way that serves our interests,” indicating that the achievements grant his forces flexibility in conducting military operations.
On the other hand, US envoy Steve Whitcoff, during his meeting with the families of prisoners in Tel Aviv today, affirmed that the United States does not want to expand the scope of the war in Gaza but seeks to end it, emphasizing the necessity of releasing all Israeli detainees. The Israeli Chief of Staff accused unspecified parties of “orchestrating a fabricated famine in Gaza,” describing it as “a deliberate plan to accuse the Israeli army of war crimes,” blaming Hamas for “the suffering and killing of civilians in the sector.”
The war in Gaza erupted after an attack launched by Hamas on Israeli settlements and military bases on October 7, 2023, resulting in the death of 1,219 people according to official data. In response, Israel launched a bloody war that is still ongoing, claiming the lives of more than 60,332 Palestinians, most of them civilians, including children, women, and the elderly, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
After about 22 months of war, Gaza faces the risk of “widespread famine” according to the United Nations, with more than two million people suffering from acute shortages of food and medicine due to the strict Israeli blockade, in one of the worst humanitarian crises in the region.
