Israel’s Foreign Minister said Monday that international pressure on his country will increase regarding military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Minister Eli Cohen, according to statements made by his spokesperson to Agence France-Presse, declared: “We have two or three weeks before international pressure actually increases, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is trying to widen the margin of legitimacy , and the battles will continue for as long as necessary.”
The Times of Israel reported that the minister said during a press conference on Monday: “International pressure is increasing on us to end the war in the Gaza Strip. It is not great now, but it is increasing.”
Cohen confirmed that his foreign officials discussed humanitarian issues during the talks, and some called for Israel to work on a ceasefire, but he stressed that they did not call for it publicly. He added that international pressure “will begin to seriously increase in about two to three weeks”, without indicating in his statements the expected results of this pressure.
He explained that the hostage issue, the number of which is estimated at around 240, is a “fundamental tool” that gives Israel the legitimacy to continue the war.
More than five weeks after the outbreak of war, sparked by an unprecedented attack by Hamas inside Israeli territory on October 7, humanitarian organizations are intensifying their calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Janez Lenarcic, on Monday called on Israel to join “significant” humanitarian truces in its war against Hamas.
For his part, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stressed the need for these truces to be “immediate” with the aim of ensuring the supply of humanitarian assistance, in particular fuel to hospitals.
For six weeks, Israel has incessantly bombed the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack, which has caused the death of 11,180 Palestinians, including 4,609 children and 3,100 women, as well as the wounding of 28,200 people, according to data from the movement that controls the Strip.
According to Israeli authorities, the sudden attack launched by Hamas against the Jewish state resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians, who died on the first day.