Israeli Defense Minister announces ‘deadly’ attack on Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will launch an offensive in the Gaza Strip, home to Hamas militants, from land, sea and air. It would be a “deadly” attack, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said. transmits The Times of Israel with reference to the country’s Ministry of Defense.

“This will be a deadly attack. This will be a combined attack from land, sea and air,” he explained. Gallant called on the Israeli military to “continue to prepare for an attack because it will happen.”

The minister’s statement came shortly after the IDF said it was awaiting orders to invade the Gaza Strip and noted that troops could not remain on full alert on the border indefinitely. October 20, Israeli Ambassador to Russia Ben Zvi stated in a conversation with TASS that the decision to begin a ground operation in Gaza had been made. He did not give the exact timing of the invasion. having specified October 22 that the Israeli military is ready to begin a ground operation.

On the morning of October 7, the Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel. After this, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded by launching Operation Iron Swords and began striking Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government announced that the country had entered a state of war.

The Gaza Strip government said 1.5 million people in the region were forced to leave their homes, accounting for about 70% of the enclave’s population. The UN has called the humanitarian situation in Gaza catastrophic due to constant shelling and a complete blockade of the strip. According to the latest data, the death toll as a result of the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has exceeded 6,400 people, more than 5,000 of them are Palestinians.

Russian authorities previously convicted Hamas attack on Israel, while noting at the same time the inadmissibility of Israeli attacks on civilian targets in Gaza. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed hope for the end of the conflict and negotiations between the parties. He has also repeatedly called for the creation of an independent Palestine as part of a “two-state” vision for the region.