Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has laid out his focal points for the Gaza Strip, and they do not center on a full hostage return. At a meeting with the war cabinet on Tuesday, he stated bluntly that returning all captives at this moment is not feasible. The army commander reported that troops were positioned around Khan Younis, signaling a widening ground operation in the southern Gaza Strip. Netanyahu’s remarks triggered a tense atmosphere in the room, with several relatives of hostages leaving the meeting as the discussion intensified. Civilians in the south continue to seek shelter as a ground campaign advances, with some pushing toward Rafah near the Egyptian border. Israeli airstrikes meanwhile have resulted in additional civilian casualties, underscoring the humanitarian toll of the conflict.
The gathering of hostages’ relatives intensified a day of demonstrations demanded by the families who feel ignored by the government. The gathered group has grown stronger within Israeli society and remains vocal about their priority: securing the return of loved ones captured in Gaza. They questioned how any leader could ignore such a plea if a feasible option existed. Netanyahu, speaking for the Likud bloc, did not offer further commitments at that moment, which only heightened frustration among participants.
Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, the Chief of General Staff of the Israeli Army, stated that troops had encircled Khan Younis as the third phase of the operation began in the Strip. He noted simultaneous efforts to extend gains to the north and warned against those who believed the war would pause after a ceasefire. Halevi, speaking in southern Israel, described the campaign as a multi-domain effort against Hamas, asserting that the army is targeting Hamas above ground, underground, in the air, on land, and at sea. The commander suggested that this approach would continue to unfold across multiple fronts.
humanitarian disaster
Gaza faces intensified ground operations and heavy bombardment that have felled dozens of people within seconds. The ongoing violence has displaced vast numbers of residents, deepening a regional humanitarian crisis. Thousands of Palestinians remain crowded into shelters near the border with Egypt as the conflict pushes more people from their homes. The United Nations relief agencies noted that approximately 50 to 70 aid trucks per day reach Rafah, a level insufficient to meet the needs of a population of several million displaced across the territory. The humanitarian situation remains dire as relief efforts struggle to keep pace with the demand for food, water, and basic services.
Safe zones designated by authorities have become crowded beyond capacity, with tens of thousands of people per square kilometer in some facilities. Residents in these shelters face shortages of water and electricity while communications periodically fail due to network outages. Air raid sirens continue to sound across various parts of the region this week. Casualties among Israeli soldiers have been reported as battles persist in the Strip, and cross-border clashes with Lebanese militias continue on the northern front. The Lebanese Army mourned a soldier’s death after an Israeli airstrike on a military post, illustrating how the conflict remains volatile on multiple fronts and on both sides of the border with Lebanon’s Hezbollah involved in the ongoing fighting.