Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “fight until victory” in the Gaza Strip, signaling there would be no pause in the military bombardment and expected invasion of the enclave after Hamas freed two US hostages.
The radical Islamic group Hamas, which governs Gaza, released last Friday (20) American women Judith Tai Raanan, aged 59, and her daughter Natalie, aged 17, who were kidnapped after the terrorist attack on September 7. October.
“Two of our kidnapped people are at home. We will not give up the effort to return all the kidnapped and missing people,” Netanyahu said.
“At the same time, we will continue to fight until victory,” he continued.
An image obtained by Reuters after their release showed the two women surrounded by three Israeli soldiers and holding hands with Gal Hirsch, Israel’s hostage and missing coordinator.
Reached by phone in Bannockburn, Illinois, outside Chicago, Uri Raanan, the teenager’s father, said he spoke to his daughter by phone. “She looks really, really good, really happy, and she looks good,” he said.
Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for Hamas’ armed wing, said the hostages were released in part “for humanitarian reasons” in response to Qatar’s mediation efforts.
Israel has massed tanks and troops near Gaza for a planned ground invasion.
The bombing of Gaza has killed at least 4,137 Palestinians, including hundreds of children, while more than a million people have been displaced, according to local officials.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said achieving Israel’s goals would not be quick or easy.
“We are going to take down the Hamas organization. We will destroy your military and government infrastructure. It is a phase that will not be easy. It will have a price,” Gallant told a parliamentary committee.
He added that the subsequent phase would be more prolonged but aimed to achieve “a completely different security situation” without any threat to Israel from Gaza. “It’s not a day, it’s not a week, and unfortunately, it’s not a month,” he explained.
See also: Israel: We continue attacking Hamas commanders
Source: CNN Brasil
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