On Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Gaza is “on fire,” warning that Israel “will not back down” following reports of intensified airstrikes on the Palestinian territory.
Katz emphasized that the Israeli military is “striking terrorist infrastructures with an iron fist, and soldiers are bravely fighting to create conditions for the release of hostages and to defeat Hamas. We will not stop or retreat until our mission is accomplished.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned on Tuesday that Hamas has a “very short window” to accept a ceasefire agreement, as Israel escalates its bombing campaign on Gaza City.
Rubio told reporters as he was leaving Israel for Qatar, “The Israelis have begun operations there (in Gaza). Therefore, we believe that we have a very short timeframe for an agreement. We no longer have months; it could be days or a few weeks.”
He added, “Our first option is for this crisis to end through a negotiated settlement where Hamas would say, ‘We will lay down our arms and no longer pose a threat.’
Rubio continued, “However, dealing with a group of savages like Hamas sometimes makes that impossible, but we hope it will happen.”
Rubio met on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, where he expressed his support for the renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza, aimed specifically at eliminating Hamas.
On a different note, Gaza health authorities reported on Monday that Israel has destroyed several buildings in Gaza City, resulting in at least 16 Palestinian fatalities.
Rubio’s visit coincided with an emergency Arab-Islamic summit in Qatar, following Israel’s attack last week targeting Hamas leaders residing in Doha.
As diplomatic initiatives continue in both Jerusalem and Doha, the Palestinian death toll has continued to rise after two airstrikes on sites within Gaza City, one targeting homes of families and the other striking a tent housing a displaced family.
Witnesses reported that both aerial and ground assaults hit various areas, spreading panic and driving thousands to flee from camps set up in the streets and open fields.
Israel asserts that its ongoing operation to take control of Gaza City is part of a strategy to permanently defeat Hamas, advising civilians to move south to a designated humanitarian zone.
Nevertheless, the United Nations and several countries argue that Israel’s tactics may amount to mass forced displacement, and conditions in the designated humanitarian area are dire due to food shortages.