In an unexpected turn of events, the Israeli war minister has confessed that Israel has been unable to defeat the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas during its months-long war on the besieged Gaza Strip.
Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s war cabinet minister told Israeli media on Tuesday that there was no alternative to Hamas rule despite continued Israeli attacks on Gaza.
“Hamas is far from being defeated, and if anyone thinks that there will be an alternative to its rule in the Gaza Strip, it simply won’t happen,” Gideon Sa’ar was quoted by Israel’s Army Radio as saying.
The remarks come as Hamas resistance to the Israeli assault continues in all parts of Gaza, despite a three-month military campaign.
Dan Halutz, former Israeli military chief late last month hinted that Israel had lost the war against the Palestinian resistance groups in the besieged territory. Halutz also expressed concern over the future of Israel. He expressed reservation of the time passing and the waning possibilities of the captives’ return.
Halutz then back said that Israel lost the war against Hamas, stressing that the only victory to be achieved was the overthrow of the prime minister. “For me, the picture of victory will be when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu steps down.”
Palestinian groups keep up resistance
Palestinian resistance fighters in northern Gaza on Tuesday confronted invading Israeli forces and launched a barrage of rockets toward settlements in the occupied territories.
The Palestinian resistance has launched a barrage of rockets toward Israeli settlements in the Negev Desert in retaliation for the regime’s ongoing bloodshed in the Gaza Strip.
Rocket sirens sounded in the Netivot settlement and surrounding towns. Israeli media said, resistance forces targeted the settlements with some 50 rockets. The reprisal operation was conducted from the central Gaza Strip.
That’s amid battles between resistance fighters and invading Israeli forces in northern Gaza. Intense fighting has been reported there despite the Israeli military’s claims of ending its operation in the northern part of the blockaded sliver.
Meanwhile, Israeli has confirmed the death of a soldier, who was injured in Gaza in December.
More than 100 days into the US-managed Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, the regime keeps pounding the besieged Palestinian territory with airstrikes and shelling.
The regime’s latest attacks have claimed the lives of nearly 160 Palestinians across Gaza. The strikes hit different areas including the southern city of Khan Younis and the central city of Deir al-balah.
Israel has shifted its focus from Gaza’s devastated north to the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Yunis lately.
Israeli officials have announced that the operations in southern Gaza will soon enter a less intensive phase.
The Israeli regime is facing growing international outcry over a soaring civilian death toll that has topped 24,280.
