Jerusalem: Far-right Israeli politician Itamar Ben-Gvir has called for an extensive military operation against Gaza, including both air and ground attacks, following Hamas's decision to delay the release of hostages initially planned for Saturday. Hamas cited Israeli violations of the January 19 ceasefire agreement as the reason for the postponement.
According to Anadolu Agency, Ben-Gvir, who previously served as the national security minister, urged for a "massive fire attack on Gaza" and advocated for a complete halt to humanitarian aid to the region, including electricity, fuel, and water supplies. He resigned from the government earlier this year in opposition to the Gaza truce deal and has consistently promoted what he refers to as the "voluntary migration" of Palestinians from Gaza. Ben-Gvir also suggested targeting aid packages that have already been delivered to the enclave, stating, "We must return to war and destroy."
Hamas has accused Israel of preventing displaced Palestinians from returning to their homes and hindering the delivery of humanitarian aid to the area. In response to the announcement from the Palestinian group, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to be on the "highest level of alert" to prepare for any possible developments in Gaza. Katz described Hamas's statement as an "outright violation" of the truce agreement, which was mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office reaffirmed the nation's commitment to the truce agreement "as written," emphasizing the seriousness with which any violations are taken. The three-phase ceasefire agreement has temporarily halted Israel's 15-month-long military campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in over 48,000 deaths and extensive devastation.
As part of the initial phase of the ceasefire deal, scheduled to last until early March, 33 Israeli hostages are to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The sixth exchange between Israel and Hamas was scheduled for this week.