Yesterday, on August 20, the Israeli army officially announced the launch of a large-scale invasion operation in the city of Gaza. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
According to “The Jerusalem Post,” the decision was made following the escalation of the situation in the Gaza Strip and videos circulated in the media.
Effi Defrin, the official representative of the Israeli army and a brigadier general, stated that the military forces are already controlling the outskirts of Gaza city. He also announced that military draft notices are being sent to Israeli citizens throughout this week, with plans to distribute another 20,000 letters by the end of this month.
Defrin emphasized that the Israeli army is paying special attention to ensuring safe evacuation for civilians as well as providing humanitarian and medical assistance. The operation has been named “Gideon’s Spear 2.”
Previous reports indicated that after a video about hostages was circulated by HAMAS, Israel was considering the full takeover of the Gaza Strip. In the video, one of the hostages says he is without food and is fighting for his life.
Although Israel accuses HAMAS of not releasing the hostages, the group denies these claims and stresses that the hostages are given the same food as soldiers and civilians suffering from hunger. According to BBC, the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering plans to fully occupy the Gaza Strip and free the hostages by military means.
While the government has not officially announced the start date of the operation, local media emphasize that the army is not expected to enter the city immediately and that the safe evacuation of civilians will be prioritized. At the same time, Netanyahu stated that Israel has no other choice and that the goal is the complete destruction of HAMAS.
Therefore, it is considered necessary to expand military actions in the Gaza Strip. This decision may further complicate the situation in the region and lead to a new phase attracting the attention of the international community.
