On Monday, Israeli bombings left 12 dead near the small village of Al-Zawaida in the center of the Gaza Strip, and 18 dead in Khan Younes (south). On Sunday evening, at least 70 people were killed in a strike on the al-Maghazi refugee camp (center).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he had visited Gaza on Monday and promised “an intensification” of the fighting against Hamas.
“(…) We are intensifying the fighting in the days to come and it will be a long war that is not about to end,” Mr. Netanyahu declared to his Likud party.
During a speech afterwards in Parliament, Mr. Netanyahu was heckled by hostage families.
“Now, now!” chanted relatives of hostages at several points during the speech as the prime minister said Israeli forces needed “more time” to secure their release.
On Monday, the Israeli army announced the death of two soldiers, bringing to 156 the number of its soldiers killed since the start of the ground offensive in the Palestinian territory on October 27.
Tensions with Iran
The Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s ideological army, accused Israel of killing one of their commanders, Brigadier General Razi Mousavi, on Monday in a strike in Syria, vowing to avenge his death.
When questioned, the Israeli army said it “does not comment on information from foreign media”.