Hamas-Israel conflict:
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On October 29, the Israeli army announced an urgent call for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to evacuate south, away from the main focus of the war against Hamas.
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| Israeli military vehicles move in an area near the border with the Gaza Strip. Photo: VNA |
Speaking on television, Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: "Over the past two weeks, we have called on residents in the northern Gaza Strip and Gaza City to temporarily relocate to the south for their personal safety."
In addition, Mr. Hagari said, the number of people confirmed to be held hostage in Gaza since the October 7 attack by Hamas in southern Israel has increased to 239.
Israel has now expanded its ground offensive against Hamas, turning the entire northern Gaza Strip into a battlefield. Along with the aerial bombardment, the Israeli military announced that it had increased its troop numbers and penetrated deeper into Gaza, and released videos showing Merkava tanks fighting in the territory.
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Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip on October 26, 2023. Photo: VNA |
Earlier, on the evening of October 28, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that phase 2 of the war against Hamas had begun with a ground offensive expanding into the Gaza Strip.
As it pounded Hamas positions, the Israeli military warned that all Gaza neighborhoods were now “battlefields” and urged residents to immediately move south, where aid was being delivered. But Palestinians said even the south was no longer safe, with many homes in densely populated areas bombed.
Related developments on the same day:
* The White House announced that President Joe Biden had a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and emphasized the need for Israel to protect civilians.
* In a phone call on the same day, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his US counterpart Joe Biden agreed on the need to increase aid to Gaza.
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Aid to Gaza must be increased. Photo: VNA |
* Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud held a phone conversation, stressing the need for regional and international action to immediately stop Israeli attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip.
* Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said the Israeli military's response to the Hamas attack was disproportionate and condemned the "catastrophic" humanitarian situation in Gaza.
* Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah reaffirmed Kuwait's stance that it will not normalize relations with Israel "unless a future Palestinian state is established in accordance with international resolutions".
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