Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday reiterated that Israel has “no choice” but to continue its military operations in Gaza, asserting that the war would not end until Hamas is destroyed, hostages are released, and Gaza ceases to pose a threat to Israel.
In a televised statement, Netanyahu also repeated his pledge to ensure that Iran is never able to acquire a nuclear weapon.
The Israeli leader faces mounting pressure at home, not only from the families of hostages and their supporters but also from reservists and retired soldiers questioning the rationale for continuing the conflict after Israel broke a ceasefire agreement last month. He claimed that Hamas had rejected Israel’s latest proposal to free half of the remaining hostages in exchange for an extended ceasefire.
His remarks came after a fresh wave of Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed more than 90 Palestinians in 48 hours, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israeli forces have intensified their operations in a bid to pressure Hamas into disarming and releasing captives.
Among those killed overnight were children and women, hospital staff reported. Eleven fatalities occurred in Khan Younis, with several victims inside tents in the Muwasi area — designated by Israel as a humanitarian zone — where thousands of displaced people are sheltering.
Mourners were seen cradling the bodies of loved ones. One man gently stroked a child’s forehead before the body bag was sealed.
“Omar is gone ... I wish it was me,” cried one bereaved brother.
Four others, including a woman and her daughter, were killed in separate strikes in Rafah, with their bodies taken to the European Hospital. Later in the day, another strike in Nuseirat, central Gaza, killed one civilian, according to al-Awda Hospital.
The Israeli military stated it had eliminated over 40 militants over the weekend. It also reported the death of a soldier in northern Gaza, the first military fatality since Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March. Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, said it had ambushed Israeli forces near al-Tuffah, east of Gaza City.
Israel has declared its intention to intensify attacks across Gaza and maintain large “security zones” within the enclave of over two million people. Hamas, meanwhile, has demanded a full withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The six-week-long blockade on Gaza continues, preventing the entry of food and essential goods. Humanitarian organisations have raised alarm over the deteriorating conditions. The United Nations reported that thousands of children are now malnourished and most people are surviving on barely one meal a day.
Dr Hanan Balkhy, regional director of the World Health Organization for the Eastern Mediterranean, on Friday appealed to newly appointed US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, to urge Israel to lift the blockade to allow medicines and other aid into the territory.
“I would wish for him to go in and see the situation firsthand,” she said.
The war was triggered by the 7 October 2023 attack in which Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 251. Most hostages have since been released under ceasefire agreements or negotiations. Hamas is currently holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.
Israel’s military campaign has killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. The offensive has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure and destroyed most of its food production facilities. Around 90 per cent of Gaza’s population is now displaced, many forced to live in tents and the ruins of buildings.
Discontent continues to rise on both sides, with rare public protests against Hamas within Gaza and regular weekly rallies in Israel demanding the return of all remaining hostages.
Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening, calling for a comprehensive deal.
“Do what you should have done a long time ago. Bring them all back now! And in one deal. And if this means to stop the war, then stop the war,” former hostage Omer Shem Tov told demonstrators.
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