We know that the Israel government as well as its military are in no mood to let Hamas get away after what it did on October 7 in Israel by not only entering the country but also killing as many as 1400 people brutally and even capturing a few hostages with them so as to blackmail Israel. However, we have seen how Israel works and they are not the ones who will be blackmailed by a few hostages as they are working on the bigger interest of their country’s security. Clearly, Israel is concerned about the hostages but they have not let Hamas get away due to that.
Israel has said time and again that there will be no ceasefire until their hostages are released but have also been doing ground operations in Gaza knowing fully well that their hostages could be killed due to these operations. Israel’s IDF says that they have fully encircled the “heart” of Gaza’s main city and that they will start neutralizing Hamas’ militants from here. Israel’s Defence Minister says that “They came from the north and the south. They stormed it in full coordination between land, air and sea forces.”
“They have one target — Hamas terrorists in Gaza, their infrastructure, their commanders, bunkers, communication rooms,” and “They are tightening the noose around Gaza City.” Israeli military has also told the civilians in Palestine to evacuate to the south as it enters the North where the Hamas are located. However, they could face resistance from the locals as well. As per a report from the Axios, “US President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call on Monday to agree to a three-day pause in the fighting to facilitate hostage negotiations with Hamas”. However, the US also knows that any kind of pause in this war will result in Hamas being able to re-group or target IDF from other locations. The IDF has announced the deaths of around 30 soldiers in Gaza since the ground offensive started. Also, Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization not only by Israel but even the US and the EU.