Israel warns Hamas, says prepared to intensify Gaza operations to rescue hostages

Israel is ready to “deepen” its Gaza operation, according to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, should peace negotiations fail to win the release of captives that Hamas is holding in Palestinian territory.

After visiting the Rafah region in the wake of an Israeli incursion at the Rafah border crossing in the southern part of the Strip, Gallant stated that Israel is willing to “make compromises” in order to free the hostages in Gaza.

However, in a statement, he said, “if that option is removed, we will go on and deepen the operation”.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel is prepared to “deepen” its Gaza operation in the event that peace talks do not result in the release of prisoners held by Hamas on Palestinian land.

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Following an Israeli raid at the Rafah border crossing in the southern portion of the Strip, Gallant visited the Rafah sector and declared that Israel is prepared to “make compromises” in order to release the hostages in Gaza.

He did, however, add in a statement, “We will continue and deepen the operation if that option is removed.”

Previous attempts at talks had faltered partly due to Netanyahu’s threats to destroy Hamas’s surviving terrorists in Rafah and the Palestinian organization’s demand for an indefinite ceasefire.

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Netanyahu declared on Tuesday that he had ordered the seizure of the Rafah gate late on Monday and that “our forces raised the Israeli flags at the Rafah crossing and took down the Hamas flags within hours.”

“Seizing the passage in Rafah today is a very important step,” he stated – “an important step on the way to destroying the remaining military capabilities of Hamas” .

“This morning we denied Hamas a passage that was essential for establishing its reign of terror in the (Gaza) Strip,” Netanyahu declared on Tuesday.

Gallant hinted of the possibility of a protracted ground action following Israel’s request for Palestinians living east of the city to leave. This led to the limited Rafah incursion.

“This operation will continue until we eliminate Hamas in the Rafah area and the entire Gaza Strip, or until the first hostage returns,” he stated in the statement.

Israel would increase its operations “all over the Strip, in the south, in the center, and in the north,” according to Gallant, if the hostages are not freed.

“Hamas only responds to force, so we will intensify our actions, and the military pressure will result in us crushing … Hamas.”