Israel-Hamas war: As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to wipe out Hamas from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military, on Thursday, said it was preparing for a possible ground operation in Gaza with over 3,60,000 forces. However, the top military official underscored that the political leadership has not yet decided on one.
A Lieutenant colonel rank official told media that forces “are preparing for a ground manoeuvre if decided.” Acccording to the Colonel, the war-torn nation has called up some 3,60,000 army reservists and has threatened an unprecedented response to Hamas’ bloody, wide-ranging incursion over the weekend.
It has been launching intense airstrikes on Gaza since the attack by Hamas on Saturday, as militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel.
Netanyahu called every member of the militant group a "dead man"
Earlier on the same day, Netanyahu called every member of the militant group a "dead man" and vowed to "wipe out the name of Hamas from the Earth". "Hamas is ISIS - We will crush and eliminate it as the world crushed and eliminated ISIS," he wrote on X.
Netanyahu, in a late-night address to the nation, confirmed media reports that claimed at least 40 babies were beheaded by the militant group and stressed that they brutally attacked soldiers and raped women. He said boys and girls were shot in the head and that people had been burned alive.
At least 1,200 Israelis were killed in the attack, which set off a fierce Israeli response in the Gaza Strip.
Further, he equated Hamas with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and assured the citizens to wipe out the name of the militant group as the world had crushed and eliminated militant Islamist terrorist groups.
Death toll crosses over 4,000
"We are fighting with full force on all fronts. We have gone over to the offensive. Every Hamas member is a dead man. Hamas is ISIS, and we will crush and eliminate it just as the world crushed and eliminated ISIS," said PM Netanyahu.
"I say to you, citizens of Israel, to my colleagues here, and to all of you the words of the prophet Isaiah: 'They helped every one his neighbour; and everyone said to his brother: 'Be of good courage," he added.
It is worth mentioning that the war has entered its sixth day today. At least 1,200 Israelis were killed in the attack, which set off a fierce Israeli response in the Gaza Strip. According to the official data, nearly 4,000 people have been killed since the war broke out on October 7, Saturday.
(With inputs from agency)
