Even as the UN General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza, the Israeli Air Force carried out overnight bombardment on nearly 150 Hamas underground sites inside southern Gaza. A large number of Hamas terrorists, including the chief of Hamas aerial wing Issam Abu Rukbeh, who masterminded October 7 paraglider attacks on Israeli settlements, were killed. Israeli infantry, combat engineering forces and tanks are still inside Gaza Strip as ground operation continued in the morning, with all internet and phone connections snapped. On Friday morning, US F-16 and F-15 fighter jets struck two terrorist sites inside Syria linked to Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps in, what Pentagon said, retaliation of drone and missile attacks against US bases and personnel in the region.
The attacks were carried out on weapons and ammunition storage facilities near Boukamal in eastern Syria, a senior US Air Force official said. On Saturday morning, the Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant spoke to US defense secretary Lloyd Austin about the ongoing ground operations inside Gaza. US officials believe that the "expanded" operations by Israel inside Gaza could be the beginning of a major ground offensive against Hamas. Meanwhile, two Egyptian towns of Taba and Nuweiba were hit by rockets, but Israel said they were fired by Hamas terrorists. Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told the United Nations that if Israel's attacks on Gaza do not stop, United States "will not be spared from this fire". "I want to tell American leaders, who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not want expansion of war in the region. But if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire". ..Iran stands ready to play its part in this humanitarian endeavour, along with Qatar and Turkey", the foreign minister said.
Already, Iran's ground forces have begun military war exercises to display its might. Its elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and air force are taking part in the exercise. The commander-in-chief of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Gen Hossein Salami has said, "Israeli army will be buried inside Gaza, and the US will also be destroyed by the fire they have lit." His comments came two days after his deputy Brig. Gen. Ali Fadavi said, Iran will launch missiles directly towards Israel's Haifa port, if it "foolishly decides to go ahead with its ground assault in Gaza". Iran is providing support to Islamic militia groups in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon to counter US and Israel's might in the region. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is in no mood to listen. He has already given permission to his forces to launch ground assault inside Gaza.
India TV reporter Amit Palit was near Jabalia camp, when Israeli defense force carried out surgical strike inside Gaza. Rockets were fired by Hamas on Israeli tanks, but the Israeli forces returned after completing their operation. The fate of nearly 229 Israelis held hostages by Hamas is still not known. The death toll in Gaza has already topped 8,800 in the last 22 days and almost the entire Gaza Strip has been reduced to rubble. Already the world is now divided into two camps over the Israel-Hamas conflict with both sides pursuing divergent line of thought. On Friday night, 120 countries voted in favour of a resolution moved by Arab countries, while 14 including the US and Israel voted against and 45 countries, including India, UK, Canada and others abstained.
With more attacks going on, the situation threatens to escalate into a bigger regional conflict, which is a worrying sign. Israel has the support of US, western powers and other countries. Israel has vowed to take revenge on the massacres carried out by Hamas. It wants that Hamas must release the hostages soon. Unless the hostages are not released, Israel is unwilling to give guarantee that it will not stop its attacks on Gaza. On the other hand, countries across the world are worried about the fate of lakhs of people living inside Gaza. They have been facing acute difficulties due to lack of food, water, medicines, fuel, electricity and other essentials. Many hospitals have been reduced to rubble. The humanitarian assistance that is being allowed inside Gaza is only a trickle. In the last three weeks, only 76 trucks were allowed to carry food and medicines into Gaza. This is negligible considering the gigantic humanitarian issue involved.
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