Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant
Middle East
Yoav Galant confirmed that the Israeli army will continue fighting throughout the Gaza Strip after the truce
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said Monday evening that after the end of the truce period in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army will resume fighting with greater intensity and operate throughout the Strip.
Galant said during his meeting with soldiers of the Givati Brigade, as reported by the Times of Israel: “Now you have a few days (break), but we will return to the battle and act with the same force and even more resolve… We will fight in all the Strip.”
The Israeli army in Gaza
Gallant stressed that the Israeli army is using the temporary ceasefire to rest, learn lessons and regroup its ranks, pointing out that Hamas members are doing the same thing.
He said: “You will face something more prepared, so you will face Hamas first with Israeli Air Force bombs, then with tanks, artillery shells and D-9 bulldozer blades, and finally also with infantry fire” .
This comes as Hamas and Qatar confirmed on Monday the extension of the humanitarian truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip for another two days to free more detainees held by the movement in exchange for Israel’s release of prisoners in its prisons.
Israel did not immediately confirm the truce extension, while the White House welcomed the extension on Monday.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Washington was “certainly hoping for a longer extension of the truce, and that is tied to the release of more prisoners by Hamas.”
For his part, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres considered the extension of the truce a “sign of hope”.
Hamas had previously made it known that it was preparing a new list of detainees with the aim of releasing them to extend the truce reached with Israel.
The truce, which is due to expire at seven on Tuesday morning (5 GMT), also allowed trucks loaded with humanitarian aid to enter the besieged and devastated Gaza Strip following violent Israeli bombing which has continued for seven weeks. in response to an unprecedented attack launched by Hamas on October 7.