Israel at War: Week 26
What does the removal of troops mean in the Gaza War? Israel Chief of Staff Lt. General Herzi Halevi explains what it does not mean, it does not mean the war is nearly over, as there are still operations to accomplish. “We are fighting this war differently; it is different from its predecessors. The war in Gaza continues, and we are far from stopping. Senior Hamas officials are still in hiding. We will get to them sooner or later. We are making progress, continuing to kill more terrorists and commanders and destroy more terrorist infrastructures, including last night.” But paramount is the hostages, “Bringing the hostages back home is a more urgent matter than other goals.”
He makes two other important points in his report. First, “We will not leave Hamas terrorists active in any part of the Strip. We have plans and we will act when we decide.”
Second, “At the same time of the offensive effort, we allow the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip. Hamas’s interest is to present a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, to press for an end to the war. Hamas is trying to take control of the humanitarian aid and PREVENT ITS DISTRIBUTION, in order to regain control of the Gaza Strip. This should not happen.”
The removal of troops from Gaza does not signal an end to the war, which has been going on for six months. There is still much to achieve, including finding and freeing the hostages. So the war continues.
(Source: The Times of Israel)
