Jerusalem: As the Israeli military is preparing for a possible ground operation in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hamas will be crushed in the same way ISIS was and that the militant organization should be treated "exactly the way ISIS was treated".
"Just as ISIS was crushed, so too will Hamas be crushed. And Hamas should be treated exactly the way ISIS was treated," Netanyahu said at the joint statements with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who visited Israel on Thursday.
"I want to thank Secretary of State Blinken, President Biden and the American people for their tremendous support in our war against the barbarians of Hamas...President Biden was absolutely correct in calling this sheer evil. Hamas is ISIS and just as ISIS was crushed, so too will Hamas be crushed. And Hamas should be treated exactly the way ISIS was treated," Netanyahu said.
"They should be spit-out from the community of nations. No leader should meet them, no country should harbour them, and those that do should be sanctioned...There will be many difficult days ahead. But I have no doubt that the forces of civilization will win and the reason that's true is because we understand what is the first prerequisite of victory, it's what you just said in our meeting: moral clarity," he added.
The statement was shared on the Prime Minister of Israel's official X handle on Thursday. The handle also shared gory pictures of burnt, dead babies it alleged were killed by Hamas during the militant organisation's unprecedented and bloody incursion into Israel on October 7.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken:
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 12, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
"Just as ISIS was crushed, so too will Hamas be crushed. And Hamas should be treated exactly the way ISIS was treated."https://t.co/eZbdaWqZP9 pic.twitter.com/Vbzp6nvOkQ
">Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken:
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 12, 2023
"Just as ISIS was crushed, so too will Hamas be crushed. And Hamas should be treated exactly the way ISIS was treated."https://t.co/eZbdaWqZP9 pic.twitter.com/Vbzp6nvOkQPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken:
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 12, 2023
"Just as ISIS was crushed, so too will Hamas be crushed. And Hamas should be treated exactly the way ISIS was treated."https://t.co/eZbdaWqZP9 pic.twitter.com/Vbzp6nvOkQ
"Here are some of the photos Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Warning: These are horrifying photos of babies murdered and burned by the Hamas monsters. Hamas is inhuman. Hamas is ISIS," the Israeli Prime Minister said in the post while sharing the horrific pictures.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken are currently holding an additional expanded meeting – with the participation of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, National Unity Chairman MK Benny Gantz and MK Gadi Eisenkot. pic.twitter.com/Fej0kPAicy
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 12, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken are currently holding an additional expanded meeting – with the participation of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, National Unity Chairman MK Benny Gantz and MK Gadi Eisenkot. pic.twitter.com/Fej0kPAicy
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 12, 2023Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken are currently holding an additional expanded meeting – with the participation of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, National Unity Chairman MK Benny Gantz and MK Gadi Eisenkot. pic.twitter.com/Fej0kPAicy
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 12, 2023
Meanwhile, Residents in Gaza spent yet another night surrounded by the ruins of pulverized neighbourhoods darkened by a near-total power outage. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “crush and destroy” Hamas, the political and militant organization currently governing the Gaza Strip.
Hamas said it's seeking to end Palestinians’ suffering, which had become intolerable under unending Israeli military occupation and increasing settlements in the West Bank and a 16-year-long blockade in Gaza.
Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said nothing would be allowed into Gaza until the captives were released. “Not a single electricity switch will be flipped on, not a single faucet will be turned on, and not a single fuel truck will enter until the Israeli hostages are returned home,” he tweeted. The latest conflict, which has claimed at least 2,600 lives on both sides, is expected to escalate.
The Israeli government is under intense public pressure Thursday to topple Hamas after its militants stormed through a border fence Saturday and killed hundreds of Israelis in their homes, on the streets and at an outdoor music festival.
Militants in Gaza are holding an estimated 150 people taken hostage from Israel and have fired thousands of rockets into Israel over the past five days. In the Gaza Strip, meanwhile, residents are facing ever-growing uncertainty after the territory's only power plant ran out of fuel and shut down Wednesday. The U.S. announced it is working with Egypt and Israel to open up safe corridors to get civilians out of Gaza.
Here are more updates on Day 6 of the latest Israel-Palestinian war:
- More than 1,400 Palestinians killed in Gaza strip
At least 1,417 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip and over 6,200 have been injured since the Israel-Hamas war began, Palestinian health officials said Thursday. Of the dead, nearly 450 are children and 250 are women. The war has claimed at least 2,600 lives on both sides since Hamas launched its attack on Israel last Saturday.
- Lack of electricity could cripple hospitals in Gaza
Already, Palestinians fleeing airstrikes could be seen running through the streets, carrying their belongings and looking for a safe place. Tens of thousands have crowded into U.N.-run schools while others are staying with relatives or even strangers who let them in.
Lines formed outside bakeries and grocery stores during the few hours they dared open, as people tried to stock on food before shelves are emptied. On Wednesday, Gaza’s only power station ran out of fuel and shut down, leaving only lights powered by scattered private generators. A senior official with the the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that lack of electricity could cripple hospitals.
“As Gaza loses power, hospitals lose power, putting newborns in incubators and elderly patients on oxygen at risk. Kidney dialysis stops, and X-rays can’t be taken,” said Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC’s regional director. “Without electricity, hospitals risk turning into morgues.” A large number of dead bodies have started piling up at the hospitals in Gaza as the death toll rose to 1,200 early Thursday. The Palestinian health ministry said 51 people were killed in what the Israeli military called a large-scale attack in the hours before daylight.
- Netanyahu praises Blinken's visit to Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed journalists on Thursday in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu praised Blinken’s visit as a “tangible example of America’s unequivocal support of Israel.” “President Biden was absolutely correct in calling this ‘sheer evil,’” Netanyahu said, referring to Hamas' unprecedented attack Saturday on Israel. They shook hands after Netanyahu’s remarks.
Blinken said that he came before journalists “not just as secretary of state, but also a Jew” while recounting his own family’s history of surviving the Holocaust. “So prime minister, I understand on a personal level, the harrowing echoes that Hamas’ massacres carry for Israeli Jews, as well as Jews everywhere,” Blinken said.
Blinken also met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. "There really are two paths before countries in this region and in many ways, countries in this world. But here in the Middle East, there’s the path of integration, cooperation, normalization and equal measures of justice, opportunity, dignity for all peoples, including the Palestinians,” Blinken said.
- OIC condemns Israel's airstrikes
The 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Thursday strongly condemned what it called the “ongoing Israeli military aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.” “The OIC considers this brutal aggression against the Palestinian people a blatant international and humanitarian law violation and a war crime,” it said in a statement. It cited the killing and wounding of women and children, the destruction of civilian buildings and other locations.
The OIC said it held Israel “fully responsible” for the “repercussions of the continuation of this sinful aggression." The OIC, based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, broadly aligns itself with the thinking of Saudi Arabia’s rulers. That suggests the ongoing war likely will affect the ongoing efforts by the United States to broker a deal that could see Saudi Arabia diplomatically recognize Israel.
- US death toll in Israel rises to 25
The number of U.S. citizens who have died in the Israel-Palestinian war has risen to at least 25, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday during a visit Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That’s an increase from 22 on Wednesday. The State Department previously said at least 17 more Americans remain unaccounted for.
- Israeli airstrikes on airports in Syria
Syria’s pro-government media reports that Israeli airstrikes have targeted the airports of the capital city Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo, damaging their runways. Al-Watan Daily and Dama Post did not give further details other than both airports are out of service. They were the first Israeli strikes on Syria since the militant Palestinian group Hamas carried out its deadly attacks in southern Israel. Earlier this year, the airports of Damascus and Aleppo were hit several times.
- Hamas says it won't be deterred by Netanyahu's unity government
Hamas responded defiantly Thursday to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement the day before that he and opposition leader Benny Gantz had formed a national unity government to lead the country in its war on the Hamas militant group. Hamas officials vowed that Israel’s united front would not “intimidate or deter the resistance.”
- 650,000 people in Gaza face dire water shortages under Israel's siege, UN says
The United Nations humanitarian office has reported that the Israeli bombardment of Gaza has leveled 1,000 homes since the retaliation began last Saturday, and many in the territory face dire shortages of water, fuel and medical supplies. Another 560 housing units, it said, have been severely damaged and rendered uninhabitable. Over 12,600 homes have sustained damage due to Israeli airstrikes.
- Saudi Crown Prince speaks with Iran's president about the escalating Gaza war
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has spoken by phone to Iran’s president to discuss the Gaza war. The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported Thursday that President Ebrahim Raisi had called the crown prince. The crown prince “underscored the Kingdom’s unwavering stance in standing up for the Palestinian cause and supporting efforts aimed at achieving comprehensive and fair peace that ensures the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights,” it said.
- UN Agency says at least 340,000 Palestinians have been displaced in the Gaza strip
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees reported Thursday that nearly 218,600 people are sheltering in 92 UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip. As airstrikes and shelling by Israeli Forces continue across the Gaza Strip, more people are seeking emergency shelter. In addition, the agency said, many other people are displaced in government schools and other buildings. In total, at least 340,000 Palestinians have been displaced across the Gaza Strip.
- Germany will give Israel up to 2 combat drones
Germany will give Israel up to two combat drones that were already in Israel for the training of German servicepeople. Germany’s military is currently leasing five Heron TP drones. The Defense Ministry said that it agreed to an Israeli request to use up to two of the aircraft. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also said on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels on Thursday that Israel has asked Germany for ammunition for warships.
- Israeli military says it's preparing for a ground operation in Gaza
The Israeli military says it is preparing for a possible ground operation in Gaza but the political leadership has not yet decided on one. Lt. Col. Richard Hecht told reporters Thursday that forces “are preparing for a ground maneuver if decided.” Israel has called up some 360,000 army reservists and has threatened an unprecedented response to Hamas’ bloody, wide-ranging incursion over the weekend. It has been launching intense airstrikes on Gaza since the attack by Hamas on Saturday, as militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel.
- Egypt rejects proposals to establish corridors out of Gaza
The Egyptian government has rejected any proposal to establish corridors out of Gaza for Palestinians fleeing Israel's bombardment in Gaza, a senior Egyptian official said early Thursday. The official said they were talking with Israel and the United States about establishing safe corridors inside Gaza and the allowance of humanitarian aid to besieged Palestinians.
- Malaysia announces an emergency fund for Palestinians after Israel cut off supply to Gaza
Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir slammed Israel's "outrageous acts of cruelty" in cutting off food, water and fuel to the Gaza Strip. He said Thursday that evacuation plans are underway to bring home a Malaysian doctor and her three children caught in the conflict. Zambry also said a group of 23 Malaysians and Singaporeans safely crossed over to Egypt on Tuesday.
A strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, Malaysia has blamed the crisis on the oppression and injustice against the Palestinian people. Zambry said Malaysia will provide a one million ringgit ($212,000) as emergency fund to help Palestinians.
- State Department warns US citizens to reconsider travel to Israel, West Bank
The State Department upgraded its travel warning for Israel and the West Bank on Wednesday to Level 3, "reconsider travel." It kept its travel advisory for Gaza at the department's highest warning level, Level 4, meaning "do not travel." The State Department cited extremists continuing to plot attacks, the possibility of violence erupting without warning, and increased demonstrations.
The travel warning comes as five days of rocket fire and missile barrages between the Hamas militant group and Israel already have led many airlines to suspend commercial flights.
