Fourteen Israeli troopers killed amid shut quarter fight in southern Gaza, army says | EUROtoday

For free actual time breaking information alerts despatched straight to your inbox signal as much as our breaking information emails

Sign as much as our free breaking information emails

Fourteen Israeli troopers have been killed amid intense combating within the Gaza strip over the previous two days, the nation’s army mentioned.

The Israeli army suffered the losses in central and southern Gaza as its forces battled Hamas militants in “close-quarters combat” in Khan Younis close to the territory’s border with Egypt.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted a “very difficult” day of combating however vowed to press on with the offensive regardless of requires a pause.

“The war is exacting a very heavy cost from us,” he mentioned in a press release. “However, we have no choice but to continue to fight.”

“Let it be clear: This will be a long war. We will fight until the end – until the hostages are returned, Hamas is eliminated and we restore security in both the north and the south,” Mr Netanyahu added.

Israel says Hamas seized round 240 hostages when militants killed 1,200 folks in a rampage round southern Israel on 7 October.

Up to 60 hostages have been lacking as a result of Israeli air strikes, Hamas mentioned final month. There has been no affirmation of that quantity however Israel believes that 20 or extra of some 130 hostages nonetheless held in Gaza are lifeless.

Meanwhile, the Gazan ministry of well being mentioned greater than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed within the battle since 7 October.

UK international secretary Lord Cameron admitted final week that “too many civilians” had been killed in Gaza and referred to as for a “sustainable ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas.

Penning a joint article with Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Lord Cameron mentioned he supported a ceasefire provided that it was sustainable in the long run.

“Our goal cannot simply be an end to fighting today. It must be peace lasting for days, years, generations. We therefore support a ceasefire, but only if it is sustainable,” he mentioned.

The UK, Germany and US abstained over a United Nations decision final week, backed by 153 nations, demanding a right away humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

Officially, the US and UK assist a two-state resolution to the Israel-Palestine battle. The Fatah-run Palestinian Authority within the West Bank helps the answer.

Hamas, which runs Gaza, doesn’t assist a two-state resolution and has vowed to eradicate Israel and Jewish folks world wide.

It boycotted the peace course of within the Nineties that finally noticed the institution of the Palestinian Authority.

This month, the UK’s Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely rejected the thought of Palestinians having their very own state within the Middle East.

More than 300 troopers have been killed in the course of the Hamas-led assaults on 7 October and greater than 150 Israeli troopers have been killed in Gaza since Israel started its floor offensive.

By comparability, 67 Israeli troopers have been killed throughout a 50-day struggle in Gaza in 2014, when Israel carried out a floor invasion across the margins of the enclave.