Netanyahu Announces Third Phase of Israel's War Against Hamas

Israel has entered the third phase of its war against the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, announced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This phase involves the expansion of ground military operations.

“We are at war. We have set a clear goal before us - to destroy Hamas's military and administrative capabilities. We are doing this systematically: the initial blockade phase is over. The second phase is ongoing airstrikes. The third phase is the expansion of ground incursions into Gaza,” the Prime Minister's statement, cited by the government press service, reads.

Among the targets of the ground operations in the enclave is the release of hostages. Netanyahu promised that as a result, Hamas will be “defeated and crushed” and that “there will be a different Gaza.”

At the same time, the Israeli Prime Minister warned the Lebanese Hezbollah group against attacks from the north. In this case, he said, the movement would make a “grave mistake.” “You will receive a blow that you cannot even imagine,” he added.

On October 28, the same day that ground battles began in the Gaza Strip, Benjamin Netanyahu announced the start of the second phase of the war with Hamas. He later stated that his goal is to destroy the Palestinian movement's infrastructure and free the hostages.

The war between Israel and Hamas has been ongoing since October 7. It started with the launch of hundreds of rockets into Israeli territory, along with the occupation of several areas and the taking of hostages. At least 1,400 people have died as a result of the assault. In response, Israel is conducting military operations, which have already led to the deaths of more than 8,000 people in the Gaza Strip, 70% of whom, according to the UN, are women and children. UN agencies report on the dire humanitarian situation in the enclave.