Two-thirds of Gaza’s health facilities not functioning: WHO
Nearly two-thirds of Gaza’s health facilities have ceased functioning during a deadly increase in Israeli air raids, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed.
A total of 46 of 72 healthcare facilities – including 12 out of 35 hospitals – have stopped functioning across Gaza, it said.
Palestinian health officials stated damage from air raids and the lack of electricity and fuel to power generators due to an Israeli blockade have forced many overcrowded hospitals to close.
Israeli police close Al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslim worshippers
For the first time in months, Israeli police have closed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and stopped Muslim worshippers from entering the compound, according to the Islamic Waqf department which is in charge of the holy site.
Israeli police allowed Jewish worshippers to enter the compound in the morning and hold rituals in violation of the status quo at the mosque which states only Muslims can worship at the holy site, Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
Supermarkets in Gaza are emptying of stock amid ongoing air strikes
Residents in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp say that supermarkets are quickly being emptied of stock as survivors scramble to get hold of food.
“We are not terrorists, America! We just want to live… we came here to get milk or biscuits or anything, and air strikes struck the supermarket,” one resident told Al Jazeera Arabic.
The supermarket in Nuseirat has been targeted at least three times before, since the start of the war on 7 October, leaving it heavily damaged.
It is one of the few remaining markets in the densely populated area that still has stock of food items, with only one other bakery still functioning in the camp.
Israel imposed a full siege on Gaza on 9 October, cutting off all electricity, fuel, food and water to the besieged enclave.
UNRWA renews calls for unimpeded flow of aid into Gaza
The United Nations’ Palestinian refugee agency reiterated its urgent calls for an unimpeded flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza on Tuesday.
“We call for an unimpeded and continuous flow of humanitarian assistance and medical assistance to continue coming into Gaza,” stated Tamara Alrifai, spokesperson for the organisation.
“The trucks that have come in so far are just a trickle in the face of the immense needs of people on the street.”
Gaza death toll reaches 5,791
The following death tolls in Palestine, Israel and Lebanon are accurate as of Tuesday. They are sourced from Palestinian, Israeli, Lebanese and Hezbollah officials.
Palestine
Gaza
Killed: 5,791 (2,360+ children, 1,292 women) -*Data on combatant casualties not yet available
Wounded: 16,297
West Bank and East Jerusalem
Killed: 90 (30 children, one woman)
Wounded: 1,400
Israel
Killed: 1,400 (769 civilians, 307 soldiers, 57 police officers) – Data on children and women casualties not yet available
Wounded: 5,007 (299 hospitalised)
Lebanon
Killed: 27 (3 civilians, 18 Lebanese fighters, 6 Palestinian fighters)
Wounded: Data not yet available
Kremlin has ‘not succeeded’ in freeing Russian hostages held by Hamas
The Kremlin announced Tuesday it had not succeeded in freeing Russian hostages being held by Hamas, who it has working relations with, and did not know how many of its citizens had been taken.
“Indeed, we have not succeeded so far, but we will continue,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, when asked about Moscow’s efforts to secure the release of Russian citizens.
“We don’t have exact information about how and when they can be returned at the moment,” Peskov added.
At least 12 British nationals were killed in Hamas attacks and 5 are still missing
At least 12 British nationals were killed following in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday.
“We can confirm at least 12 British nationals were tragically killed in last week’s terrorist attacks,” the spokesperson stated, adding that five Britons were still missing, but he could “not be more specific” on the number of UK nationals the government believes may have been captured by Hamas.
‘Well prepared for ground operations’: Israel military official
Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi has suggested Israel has no intention of curbing its deadly air strikes on Gaza.
“We want to bring Hamas to a state of full dismantling,” Halevi said in a statement.
“We are well prepared for the ground operations in the south.”
Israeli military spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari also stated the military was “ready and determined” for the next stage in the war, and is awaiting political instruction.
‘We are on our knees’: WHO pleads for medical deliveries
The World Health Organization (WHO) says medicine and health supplies have been delivered to three key hospitals in southern Gaza but are still needed to reach the north.
“We still have not been able to reach the hospitals in the north with the medical supplies or the desperately needed fuel,” stated Dr Rick Brennan, WHO regional emergencies director for the Eastern Mediterranean region.
One-third of hospitals in the Gaza Strip are now non-functional at a time when the medical burden is enormous, Brennan added.
“We are on our knees asking for that sustained, scaled-up, protected humanitarian operation. We appeal to all of those in a situation to make a decision or to influence decision-makers to give us the humanitarian space to address this human catastrophe.”
Netanyahu warns Israel’s fight against Hamas “could be a long war”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel’s fight against Hamas “could be a long war.”
Israel formally declared war on Hamas on October 8, the day after the group launched a brutal terror attack on Israel that killed more than 1,400 people.
Speaking at a news conference in Jerusalem on Tuesday alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Netanyahu stressed the need to defeat Hamas or “we will all lose.”
Netanyahu warned that Hamas would also present a threat to Europe.
He also echoed Macron’s warning to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Islamist militant group that dominates southern Lebanon, not to join the war. He said Hezbollah would “regret” entering the conflict.
“I hope they heed our warning. They will suffer horrible consequences,” he added.
Macron proposes international coalition against Hamas
French Presdient Emmanuel Macron called for the international coalition fighting the Islamic State group to be expanded to also fight Hamas after the October 7 attacks on Israel.
The French president, speaking after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, said that countries fighting IS “should also fight against Hamas.”
He stressed there must be a “decisive relaunch” of the Palestinian peace process following the crisis set off by the deadly Hamas attacks and Israel’s response.
Area around al-Wafa hospital in Gaza City targeted
Foad Najem, general manager of al-Wafa hospital in Gaza City, told Al Jazeera:
- The hospital entrance and surrounding areas were targeted in an air strike.
- No prior warning was given ahead of the air strike.
- We cannot evacuate the hospital because most of the patients are in a coma.
- We have more patients than what we have capacity for.
- We condemn the international community [and its inaction] if the hospital runs out of fuel and medical supplies as feared [due to Israeli blockade].
Israel asks Gaza people for captive information for ‘security and reward’
The Israeli army has appealed to residents in Gaza to reveal information on captives held by Hamas in exchange for security and financial compensation.
“If you want a better future for you and your child, take action and give us as soon as possible solid and useful information concerning the abductees in your area,” an army statement read.
“The Israeli army assures you it will put forth maximum effort to provide security to you and your home, as well as a monetary reward. We guarantee you complete confidentiality.”
The army then provided contact details.
9 French citizens missing or held hostage following Hamas attack in Israel: Macron
Nine French citizens are “missing or held hostage” following the Hamas attacks on Israel, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter, after meeting with relatives of dead and missing French citizens in Israel.
“We are tied to Israel by grief,” Macron, who arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning, said on X.
Upon his arrival, Macron met with 30 relatives of 18 French citizens killed or missing since the Hamas attack on October 7, including the family of Mia Schem, a 21-year-old French-Israeli woman who was shown on a video released by Hamas last week.
Qatar’s Emir: ‘Israel shouldn’t be given the green light for killing’
Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, said that “Israel shouldn’t be given a green light for unconditional killing,” in a speech on Tuesday morning.
He also warned that the “dangerous escalation” of the war “threatens the region and the world.”
The Emir added that Israel must abide by international laws, and immediately end its full siege on Gaza.
Macron says he stands in solidarity with Israel’s fight against terrorism
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed not to leave Israel isolated in its fight against militants but warned against the risks of a regional conflict as he arrived in Israel on Tuesday.
France is “tied to Israel by grief,” Macron has said during a visit to Tel Aviv.
Macron told Israeli President Isaac Herzog: “We share your pain. What happened on the 7th of October is an awful terrorist attack against your people, your nation.”
“I want you to be sure that you are not left alone in this war against terrorism. Because I speak here on behalf of a country which experiences terrorist attacks,” he added.
Israeli president demands release of captives, warns Lebanon
Isaac Herzog has stated Israel is committed to “destroying” its enemies, noting though that the situation remained “extremely complicated and fragile” regarding those held captive by Hamas.
“We demand the immediate release of all our citizens,” Herzog said, speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
He also discussed the situation in the north of Israel where skirmishes between the Israeli army and Hezbollah have been intensifying since the war started on October 7.
“We are following very closely the situation,” he continued, adding while the country was not looking for a confrontation at its border, Lebanon was “playing with fire”.
“If Hezbollah drags us into a war it should be clear that Lebanon will pay the price.”
State of healthcare facilities in Gaza
Mohamed Zaqout, general manager of hospitals in Gaza, told Al Jazeera:
- 25 ambulances are out of service because of air strikes.
- Eight out of 24 hospitals in Gaza are out of service because of air strikes or lack of fuel and medical supplies.
- Rescue teams are unable to reach those under the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli attacks.
- Hamad Hospital, one of the main hospitals in Gaza, is out of service after being targeted by Israeli air strikes.
Gaza’s largest hospital “will become a mass grave” if fuel runs out: Doctor
Gaza’s largest hospital will become a “mass grave” if it runs out of fuel, a British-Palestinian doctor working there told CNN on Tuesday.
“The real question is, is there anything left of a hospital when there’s no electricity? And my answer is no. Effectively, Shifa Hospital will become a mass grave if it runs out of electricity,” Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah told CNN’s John Vause, adding there are currently 150 patients on ventilators with doctors unable to run operating theatres and anesthetic machines due to the shortages.
The hospital currently has “around 1,700 wounded patients, three times its capacity,” he said.
With longer and more frequent power cuts, Abu-Sittah said Shifa Hospital “effectively… will cease to exist as a hospital.”
This would also impact the maternity and neonatal units, the largest in Gaza, as over 15 incubators will “cease to function” once the power runs out, Abu-Sittah added.
In response to a question on whether this is a “countdown” to children dying, Abu-Sittah stated, “Absolutely.”
The shortages are also impacting ambulance services, which require petrol to reach and bring in the wounded.
Abu-Sittah said to his knowledge the hospital has not received any extra fuel supplies from Hamas.
“I’m not aware that the hospital has been receiving any extra fuel supplies but the stand from the administration is that what we have is what was in the supplies before,” Abu-Sittah added.
French president arrives in Tel Aviv
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, live TV footage showed.
Marcon plans to express solidarity following the October 7 Hamas attacks and to discuss a two-state solution, an Élysée Palace source said on Monday.
Macron is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli President Issac Herzog and opposition leader Yair Lapid.
Northern Gaza’s largest hospital falls into darkness as fuel runs out
The Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza has no electricity due to fuel shortages, Hamas said in a statement early Tuesday, accusing Israel of a “crime against humanity”.
Israel has not permitted fuel to enter Gaza since it ordered a “complete siege” on the territory on October 9.
Hamas called on the United Nations as well as Arab and Muslim countries to take action to immediately provide fuel to hospitals.
“We warn against the consequences of negligence in providing fuel, which means sentencing all the sick and wounded in hospitals to death,” the Hamas statement read.
Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that fuel supplies are desperately needed in Gaza to power water desalination for clean drinking water and lifesaving machines in hospitals.
The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health announced Monday that hospitals in the enclave are nearing collapse, operating at more than 150% of their capacity.
Twelve of the 35 hospitals in Gaza are currently non-functional, it added. Of these, nine hospitals have been “destroyed or rendered out of service”.
China says Israel has right to self defence, reiterates calls for ceasefire
China’s foreign minister said Israel had the right to defend itself in a call with his Israeli counterpart Monday, but “should abide by international humanitarian law and protect the safety of civilians”.
The remarks acknowledging Israel’s right to self defence are a step up for Beijing, which has called the lack of justice for Palestinians the ‘crux’ of the conflict, after Hamas 7 October attack on Israel.
Wang Yi also spoke Monday with his Palestinian counterpart, Riyad al-Maliki, where he reaffirmed Beijing’s support for a ceasefire and preventing forced displacement of Palestinians.
Yi is set to travel to Washington this week to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Lebanon does not want war with Israel: Minister of Information
The Lebanese government does not want a war with Israel, Lebanese Acting Minister of Information Ziad Makari said in an interview with the Russian state media RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
“The Lebanese government does not want war. If, God forbid, this happens, we will work with it,” said Makari, as quoted by RIA.
According to RIA, Makari added that such “threats” from Israel have become a “constant occurrence.”
“Israel has never refrained from making threats, and almost every week one or another Israeli political or military official threatens Lebanon and promises to return the country ‘to the stone age’ and so on. Netanyahu’s threats have become a constant occurrence for Israel,” stated Makari.
Gaza hospitals generators to run out of fuel in 48 hours: Health Ministry
The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip has warned that the electric generators in hospitals will cease functioning within the next 48 hours due to a fuel shortage, amid intensified air raids by Israel on the besieged enclave.
Spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra said in a brief statement on Telegram early on Tuesday that the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza is “slow and cannot change the reality” on the ground.
“The healthcare system has reached its worst stage in its history,” he added.
On Monday, the ministry announced 32 health centres were out of service after Israel cut off access to essential supplies, including fuel, as it carries out a bombing campaign that has destroyed entire neighbourhoods and brought humanitarian conditions to a breaking point.
It added that the immediate needs of hospitals must be prioritised in terms of aid distribution, urging the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to push for the delivery of supplies of fuel and blood units into the enclave.
Not time for a ceasefire in Israel-Hamas conflict: White House
John Kirby, the White House spokesman, has said “this is not the time for a ceasefire” in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“Israel has a right to defend themselves,” he told CNN, adding, “They still have work to do to go after Hamas leadership.”
Amid reports the US is pressuring Israel to delay its expected ground invasion of Gaza during negotiations to release captives held by Hamas, the spokesman stated it is up to the Israeli military to make its own decisions.
“It’s our view that the [Israeli army] need to decide for themselves how they’re going to conduct operations,” John Kirby told reporters on Monday.
“We’re not in the business of dictating terms to them, and we’re certainly not in the business here at the White House of previewing any future operations, one way or the other. That would be inappropriate,” he added.
EU wants to revive Middle East peace process
The European Union foreign policy chief has stated the bloc has plans to reinvigorate its efforts for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“We are entering a new phase in the hundred year old Israeli-Palestinian tragedy. It could be a very dangerous one for global peace, and the international community must mobilize to avoid it,” Josep Borrell said on Monday in a blog post
“For too long, we have tried to dismiss the Palestinian issue as if it no longer existed or as if it would resolve itself,” he added.
“Every day we call for a two-state solution, but as the Palestinian representative told me during the UN General Assembly: ’Apart from calling for it, what are you doing to get it?,’” he continued.
Borrell’s comments come as the EU faces criticism that it has taken a backseat to the US in the Israel-Palestine war.
Biden says US ‘committed’ to getting food, water, medicine into Gaza
US President Joe Biden has said his administration “remains committed” to ensuring Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip have “access to food, water, medical care, and other assistance, without diversion by Hamas”.
Washington has faced criticism for failing to demand Israel stop its bombardment of the besieged Palestinian territory.
Biden also said that captives held by Hamas should be released before a ceasefire in Gaza can be discussed.
Asked whether he would support a potential deal to end to the fighting in exchange for freeing the captives, the US president stated: “We should have those hostages released and then we can talk.”
Biden has so far resisted calls for a ceasefire, supporting what he calls “Israel’s right to defend itself”. He also previously stressed that Israel should eliminate Hamas.
Israel won’t hold off Gaza ground invasion over captives: Minister
Israel will not hold off on a widely expected ground invasion of Gaza over the issue of captives being held in the Palestinian enclave, Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz has told German tabloid newspaper Bild.
The Reuters news agency reported that Katz told Bild in an interview that everything would be done to bring the captives home.
“But that cannot hinder our actions including the ground offensive, if we decide on it,” he was quoted as saying.
“Hamas wants us to deal with the captives and wants the military to not go in to eliminate their infrastructure. That will not happen,” Katz added.
Senior Hamas figure says captives will be released if Israeli bombings stop
Khaled Meshaal, the head of the Palestinian group’s office in the diaspora, has said that captives held by Palestinian groups in Gaza will be released if Israel stops bombing the beseiged enclave.
“Let them stop this aggression and you will find the mediators like Qatar and Egypt and some Arab countries and others will find a way to have them released and we’ll send them to their homes,” Meshaal told Sky News on Monday.
Meshaal added that 22 hostages had been killed by Israeli air strikes on Gaza.
Asked about the death of civilians on 7 October during Hamas’s attack on Israeli communities, Meshaal said: “If there was any killing, this was definitely not intended. Definitely.”
He added that crossings into Gaza should be opened and aid allowed to enter.
“If this happens, and there is a ceasefire, we come to the big question: what was the root cause of what happened? And we will say it’s the occupation,” Meshaal continued, stating, “So, Israel should withdraw from all occupied lands and we will have a window of opportunity.”
Israeli PM concludes ‘security assessment’ in Tel Aviv
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has concluded a security assessment at the Kirya in Tel Aviv, his press office says.
The Israeli defence minister, military chief-of-staff and senior security officials also participated in the talks.
“We are working together as an iron fist for one objective – to eliminate Hamas. We back each other and we back the [Israeli army] – our soldiers and our commanders,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
The Israeli prime minister has sought to refute reports in Israeli media of a purported rift between his government and Israel’s defence and military leaders over a planned ground invasion of Gaza.
“We are fighting together and we will win together, only together,” he added.
Hamas says Israel has assassinated one of its senior members in prison
Hamas has announced Israel has assassinated one of its senior members in prison.
Omar Daraghmeh is one of more than 1,200 Palestinians who have been rounded up in the West Bank by the Israeli military since October 7.
Daraghmeh, 58, died in Megiddo prison, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society and the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs confirmed in a joint statement.
The father of four – three sons and a daughter – had been in administrative detention [without charge or trial] since October 9.
“Daraghmeh, a former prisoner, was detained with his son from his home in Tubas in the West Bank,” said Kamal Bani Odeh, director of the Prisoners’ Club in Tubas.
The two organisations announced that Daraghmeh’s lawyer had seen his client earlier in the day and that he was in good health.
“We hold the occupation [Israel] fully responsible for this crime, which began with putting him under administrative detention without charge,” they added.
At least 238 Palestinian detainees have died in prison since 1967, the statement read.
Israeli defence minister says preparing for ‘air, ground and sea’ operation into Gaza
Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant has told members of the Israeli navy to “keep preparing for our operation, it will come soon” as he toured the Ashdod navy base and conducted an assessment of naval operations.
“We are preparing thoroughly for the next step – a multilateral operation in the air, ground, and sea,” he stated.
‘Lost for words’: UNRWA says 35 staff killed in Gaza since October 7
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has confirmed 35 of its staff have been killed in Gaza since October 7.
“We are lost for words,” UNRWA wrote in a post on X.
“These are not just numbers. These are our friends and colleagues.”
Hamas says Israel’s bombardment of Gaza an act of ‘terrorism’
Muhammad Nazal, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, has stated Israel’s continuous bombardment of Gaza is an act of “terrorism”.
“The intensity of strikes on civilians in Gaza is due to the political and moral bankruptcy of Netanyahu’s government – the Zionist, terrorist government,” Nazal said.
His remarks come as Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, released video footage showing its fighters launching kamikaze drones into Israeli territory.
The group announced it targeted areas inside Israel for the first time since October 7.
US says working to allow ‘consistent’ aid deliveries into Gaza
US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said that Washington is coordinating with Israel, Egypt and the United Nations to reach a sustainable mechanism for aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip.
“We are working on a mechanism to ensure that aid is coming through the Rafah crossing consistently. We do not think that the [current] delivery of convoys is sufficient,” Miller told reporters during a briefing in Washington, DC.
He added that the lack of fuel delivery was also part of the discussions.
“Humanitarian organisations that are operating inside Gaza to distribute the humanitarian assistance flowing into Rafah need fuel to have the ability to do so,” stated Miller.
Italy FM confirms death of second Italian-Israeli citizen in Hamas attack
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has confirmed the death of a second Italian-Israeli citizen from the October 7 attack by Hamas.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Tajani said Liliach Le Havron, the wife of Evitar Kipnis, whose body was recovered last week, was confirmed dead.
The couple had lived in the Be’eri kibbutz and they had been reported missing by their loved ones.
“For Italy, another day of mourning,’’ Tajani wrote.
UK says Israel needs to be ‘assured of security’ before potential ceasefire
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has stated the quicker Israel can be “assured of its self-defence and its security”, the quicker the suffering of the people of Gaza can be brought to a halt.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, he said the United Kingdom is “trying to alleviate the plight of the Palestinian people in Gaza”.
He added his country has informed Israel that it should be conscious of the plight of civilians, but ultimately, “that’s a decision for them to make”.
Asked whether the United Kingdom believes that humanitarian pauses and humanitarian corridors are currently needed in Gaza, Cleverly stressed there needs to be a “credible belief” that Israel will not be conducting military operations in Gaza and that “no military operations will be conducted from Gaza”.
“There have been extensive rocket fires from Gaza initiated by Hamas and others into Israel, and Israel is responding to those attacks,” Cleverly told Al Jazeera.
His remarks come as tens of thousands of people joined UK protests condemning Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip and calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Only 54 trucks of humanitarian aid enter Gaza so far: ICRC
Speaking from occupied East Jerusalem, Stephen Ryan, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said that only 54 trucks of humanitarian aid have entered the Gaza Strip so far.
The organisation is ready to send more and has been calling for a sustained flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, but “what’s needed right now is to make sure that that actually happens”, Ryan told Al Jazeera.
“We have teams on standby as well as relief ready to go and these are definitely needed items, including medical supplies. Our teams in Gaza have visited some of the hospitals and they’ve seen firsthand how difficult and challenging the situation is,” he added.
“In addition, the damage to infrastructure is going to be a major concern, because it’s not just a question of goods crossing the border; it’s also getting them to where they’re needed most.”
Putin calls for ‘unhindered access’ for aid deliveries into Gaza
In a telephone call with his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for “unhindered” humanitarian aid access in Gaza and stressed the need for a ceasefire.
In a readout of the call from the Kremlin, the two leaders “expressed serious concern about the growing number of civilian casualties and stressed the fundamental importance of an early ceasefire, the evacuation of foreign citizens from the Gaza Strip, and of ensuring unhindered access to the enclave for humanitarian aid”.
Israeli government rejects reports of internal rift over Gaza ground invasion
The Israeli government has released a statement refuting media reports of a rift between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and the Israeli military leadership.
Israeli news outlets have reported on the purported split, saying Israel’s army and defence officials are pushing to go ahead with a widely expected ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, but Netanyahu is reluctant.
“The prime minister, the defence minister and the [Israeli army] Chief-of-Staff are working in close and full cooperation, around the clock, to lead the State of Israel to a decisive victory over Hamas,” the government statement says.
“There is total and mutual trust between the prime minister, the defence minister and the [Israeli army] Chief-of-Staff; the unity of the goal is clear,” it added.
