Israel preparing for a week-long Gaza operation: Army
PremiumIsrael's Army is preparing for aerial operations and currently not holding any ceasefire negotiations
Israel is preparing for week-long operations in Gaza, the Army confirmed on Saturday. The Israeli Army is not holding any ceasefire negotiations with Islamic Jihad Militants.
The military "is preparing for the operation to last week" and is "not currently holding ceasefire negotiations," an Army spokesperson told news agency AFP.
The news comes amid reports of Israeli aircraft striking Gaza and Palestinians firing rockets at Israel. This exchange was a day after Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed one of the senior commanders in the surprise air strike on a high-rise building in Gaza City.
The UN with countries like Egypt and Qatar is making efforts to end the fighting, according to the news agency Reuters. The fight can get escalated if Islamic militant Group Hamas, which controls Gaza, decides to join.
Israeli strikes have so far killed 12 Palestinians including a child. Around 84 people have also been wounded according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Islamic Jihad militants did not provide details on how many of its members had been killed. They also signaled no immediate ceasefire. "The time now is for resistance, not a truce," a group official told Reuters.
Israel Stopped Fuel Transport
Shortly before striking Gaza, Israel also stopped the planned fuel transport to the city. The halt affected the territory's lone power plant which reduced the electricity to 8 hours per day.
Gaza streets looked deserted on Saturday as most of the shops remained closed. A neighbor, Mariam Abu Ghanima, 56, told Reuters that the Israeli military did not issue a warning before the attack as it has done in previous rounds of violence.
The UN middle-east envoy Tor Wennesland expressed deep concern about the violence. Western-backed Palestinian Authority also condemned Israel's attacks.
Political analyst are also connecting the current strikes with the country's elections on 1 November. They believe it provides the Prime Minister Yair Lapid with an opportunity to bolster his security credentials.
With Inputs from AFP and Reuters.
Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less