Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has defied calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, disregarding appeals from Pope Francis and Middle Eastern leaders.
Gaza City finds itself encircled by the Israeli military after another night of relentless bombings by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The IDF has continued its bombardment campaign, with Netanyahu addressing IDF troops at the Ramon Air Force base in southern Israel.
He made it clear that the war would only cease when Hamas was completely destroyed. “Our enemies misjudged us.
There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages,” Netanyahu stated emphatically. “This should be completely removed from the lexicon.
We say this to our friends and to our enemies. We will simply continue until we defeat them. We have no alternative.”
Netanyahu’s unyielding stance stands in stark contrast to the pleas of world leaders, including neighboring nations, who have implored the 74-year-old leader to halt the continuous bombing of the enclave.
Pope Francis, in his weekly Angelus prayer, called for humanitarian aid and assistance for injured Gazans to alleviate the “very grave” situation. “I keep thinking about the grave situation in Palestine and Israel where many people have lost their life. I pray you to stop in the name of God, cease the fire,” the Pope urged.
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He expressed hope that efforts would be made to prevent the conflict from escalating and to provide aid to the population of Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is dire.
Meanwhile, Ayman Safadi, the foreign minister of Jordan, a country that shares a border with Israel, decried the situation, stating that “Israel is losing its humanity in this war” after airstrikes hit two central Gaza refugee camps, reportedly resulting in the deaths of at least 53 people and numerous injuries.
“This madness cannot continue, and this war has to stop,” Safadi stressed. “Nobody is benefiting; on the contrary, everybody is losing.”
The Israel Defense Force announced that it has fully encircled Gaza City and is conducting widespread strikes on terror infrastructure both below and above ground.
They claim to have uncovered further evidence of Hamas’s “City of Terror” tunnel network.
As the conflict rages on, international calls for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid for the affected Gazans grow louder, but Netanyahu’s resolve remains unwavering.
