Israel-Hamas war

Israel Preparing for Escalation of Conflict: IDF Spokesperson

22:45, 25 October 2023
© AP Photo / Majdi Mohammed
Dhairya Maheshwari
All materials
The IDF says that its priorities are to ‘destroy’ Hamas in Gaza and to rescue over 200 hostages held by the Palestinian group. Israel has refused to negotiate with Hamas over their release.
Sputnik
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are gearing up for the possibility of an escalation in the ongoing conflict with Palestinian militant movement Hamas, a military spokesperson told a news conference organized by the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi on Wednesday.

“I hope there won’t be a broader conflict. But, as we say in the military, hope is not a method. So, we are preparing for that eventuality. We are reinforcing our presence on the ground. We are making sure that our air force is prepared,” said Lieutenant Colonel (res) Peter Lerner, the IDF spokesman for international media.

Lerner said that IDF had conducted pre-emptive strikes against five squads which were planning to conduct “anti-tank guided missile attacks from Lebanon towards Israel” in the last 24 hours.

“There is a possibility that it indeed will happen, and we are taking necessary precautions to be ready for that,” the IDF spokesperson said.

The remarks by the IDF spokesman come amid mounting global calls urging Israel to call for a ceasefire in view of the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The UN Security Council on Tuesday held an open debate focused on the situation in Gaza, where calls for a ceasefire were echoed by most of the 90 countries which were represented at the meeting.
The Arab states as well as Russia and China have backed calls for a ceasefire and to allow immediate humanitarian aid into Gaza. The US has resisted these calls, as it reaffirmed its support for Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism.

“How can you agree to a ceasefire with someone who swore to kill and destroy your own existence?,” Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told the UN Security Council.

Over 5,500 Palestinians have been killed in IDF strikes on Gaza since 7 October, according to the Health Ministry. The IDF strikes were launched in retaliation to Hamas brutal incursion which left over 1,400 Israelis dead, making it the deadliest tragedy in the country’s history.

‘Reality on the Ground in Gaza Needs to be Changed’: IDF

The IDF spokesman said during Wednesday's briefing that Israeli forces weren’t looking at a ceasefire as of now.
“We are talking about moving forward and destroying the enemy so it doesn’t have the capability to attack Israel ever again,” Lerner stated.
He sought to allay fears about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying that IDF was in touch with humanitarian agencies as well.

“From our perspective, as we see it, the reality on the ground is that needs to be changed ground up. For that, the humanitarian effort needs to work in tandem with the military effort, indeed. We are communicating with international humanitarian organizations on the ground. We are engaging with the international community at large,” Lerner explained.

He further called upon the international community to be “part of the solution” rather than part of “maintaining the problem”.
The IDF spokesman termed Gaza as a “terrorist launching pad”.

“This is why there needs to be a strategic change, the paradigm change that we have not experienced ever before,” Lerner stressed.

Israel-Hamas war
Israel's Ground Operation in Gaza Won’t ‘Finish Off’ Hamas: Expert
15 October 2023, 20:31
Israel-Hamas warIsraelIsrael Defense Forces (IDF)HamasHezbollahNew DelhiPalestineRussiaUSChinaPalestinian causeterrorismterrorist attackIndiahumanitarian crisishumanitarian aidThe United Nations (UN)UN Security Council (UNSC)Lebanon
Discuss