Netanyahu says he will direct military how to achieve goals in Gaza
Netanyahu said on Monday that he will direct the military how to achieve the objectives of the war his government has set, including defeating the enemy and getting Israeli hostages released. This comes as ceasefire talks between Israel and the Islamic group Hamas are stalled.
An Israeli media outlet quoted a source as saying Netanyahu is "pushing for the release of the hostages through decisive military victory."
US broadcaster CNN reported that Netanyahu is leaning towards expanded military operations.
The Israeli military has ramped up its aid delivery efforts in Gaza since last month, but the enclave is still facing severe food shortages.
Israeli military operations continue in Gaza. Local health authorities on Monday said 94 people had died over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 60,933 since the conflict began in October 2023.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NHK
4 hours ago
- NHK
Thailand, Cambodia officials start talks on maintaining ceasefire
Defense officials from Thailand and Cambodia have begun talks on the formation of a third-party team to monitor a ceasefire in their disputed border region. The four-day meeting began on Monday in Malaysia, which is this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Malaysia helped broker the ceasefire, four days after deadly clashes erupted between Thai and Cambodian forces on July 24. ASEAN officials say Monday's talks focused on ways to uphold the ceasefire and have ASEAN form a team to monitor the agreement. Thai and Cambodian officials are said to disagree on the conditions for maintaining the ceasefire and the handover of 18 Cambodian troops detained by Thai forces. A defense minister-level meeting is scheduled for the final day of the talks, with representatives from the US and China expected to attend. Whether progress can be achieved remains unclear, as Thailand and Cambodia continue to trade accusations against each other.
Yomiuri Shimbun
6 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Netanyahu Fires Attorney General as Domestic Pressure over Gaza Heats up
TEL AVIV – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government voted unanimously Monday to dismiss his attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, the chief prosecutor in his ongoing corruption case, as he faces growing criticism inside Israel and U.S. impatience over his government's management of the war in Gaza. The vote to remove Baharav-Miara, a frequent critic of the government's policies, marks one of the more significant steps in Netanyahu's years-long effort to exert political influence over the country's legal system. It is also expected to lead to a confrontation between the elected government and the appointed justices on Israel's Supreme Court, who will review and rule on the legality of Baharav-Miara's removal. Immediately after the vote, opposition party Yesh Atid filed a petition to block the move, as did the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, a watchdog group that said the vote would politicize the office of the attorney general. In response, Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Sohlberg issued a temporary order freezing the decision. In a letter to her staff, Baharav-Miara wrote that the government's decision was unlawful. 'Political pressure will not deter us from continuing to perform our duties with statesmanship, professionalism, and integrity,' she wrote. According to a draft resolution released last week, cabinet ministers said the move was necessary because the government had 'no confidence whatsoever' in Baharav-Miara. Netanyahu's supporters say she routinely overstepped, including in March, when she blocked the prime minister's move to fire the head of Israel's internal security service, Ronen Bar. Baharav-Miara said the dismissal was improper because Netanyahu and some of his closest aides were facing several criminal investigations. The political turmoil Monday unfolded as Netanyahu faced renewed pressure to end the war. On Sunday, 19 former Israeli military, security and intelligence chiefs released a video criticizing the government for prolonging the conflict and failing to plan for the day after. Together, they warned Israel that the government was harming the country's security, and urged the prime minister to stop military operations in Gaza and secure a deal to release the remaining hostages. 'There are situations where a black flag must be raised, and we must say, this ends here,' said Moshe Yaalon, a former chief of staff for the Israeli military. 'Right now, we have a government that has been dragged by messianics into an irrational direction,' he added, referring to the far-right members of Netanyahu's coalition. Those members, including several cabinet ministers, oppose negotiating with Hamas and have called on the prime minister to reoccupy Gaza and allow them to rebuild Jewish settlements there. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff was also in Israel over the weekend to discuss efforts to pressure Hamas. On Saturday, he met with the families of hostages in Hostages Square – the central Tel Aviv plaza where tens of thousands have gathered for weekly protests – to relay a message that the United States was now pursuing a more inclusive hostage release agreement, one that would require Hamas to free all those still in captivity in exchange for a formal end to the conflict. In recent days, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a smaller militant group in Gaza, triggered mass street protests in Tel Aviv after they released videos showing two male hostages emaciated and begging to be saved. Israelis were horrified by the footage of the two hostages: 24-year-old Evyatar David – who was shown shirtless, his bones protruding as he was forced to dig what he said could be his own grave – and Rom Braslavski, 22, who was seen lying on a mattress and pleading for food. Monday's cabinet vote took place 'as our hostages are dying in the tunnels, as Israeli society is tearing itself apart,' Yair Golan, an Israeli opposition politician, said at a demonstration near the Knesset on Monday afternoon. Israel's government, Golan said, 'is not dealing with freeing the hostages, ending the war. … It is not bothered with Israel's safety.' During almost two years of war, military and security officials, as well as the families of hostages, have warned that Israel's ground invasion endangers those still held in Gaza – and that a negotiated agreement is the only way to bring the majority of the hostages home. An Israeli military investigation last year found that operations, 'although gradual and cautious, had a circumstantial influence' on the Hamas militants who killed six hostages in a tunnel where they were being held in Rafah in southern Gaza. But on Monday, Netanyahu projected an image of defiance, praising Israelis 'who fight together and win together' in a post on X. He vowed to 'continue until the enemy is defeated, all the hostages are released, and security is guaranteed for the residents of Israel.' Israeli news media reported late Monday that Netanyahu would convene his security cabinet this week to discuss plans for Gaza. A person familiar with decision-making in the prime minister's office, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the news media, said that Netanyahu had decided to 'occupy the Gaza Strip, meaning that military operations will also take place in areas where hostages are being held.' In pursuing moves against the attorney general, and leaning toward more military action in Gaza, Netanyahu 'is acting against the will of the Israeli majority, who want a comprehensive deal today to bring the hostages home and end the war,' said Gayil Talshir, a senior lecturer on political science at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. 'Today, the prime minister and his government see themselves as above the law.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
6 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Canada Airdrops Aid into Gaza, Says Israel Violating International Law
Aug 4 (Reuters) – Canada said on Monday it delivered humanitarian assistance through airdrops to Gaza, which has been under a devastating Israeli military assault for almost 22 months, with Ottawa again accusing Israel of violating international law. 'The (Canadian Armed Forces) employed a CC-130J Hercules aircraft to conduct an airdrop of critical humanitarian aid in support of Global Affairs Canada into the Gaza Strip. The air drop consisted of 21,600 pounds of aid,' the Canadian government said in a statement. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that it was Canadian Armed Forces' first humanitarian airdrop over Gaza using their own aircraft. The Israeli military said 120 food aid packages for Gaza's residents were airdropped by six countries, including Canada. The other five were Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Germany and Belgium. Canada said last week it plans to recognize the State of Palestine at a meeting of the United Nations in September, ratcheting up pressure on Israel as starvation spreads in Gaza. Canada also said on Monday that Israeli restrictions have posed challenges for humanitarian agencies. 'This obstruction of aid is a violation of international humanitarian law and must end immediately,' Canada's government said. The Israeli embassy in Ottawa had no immediate comment. Israel denies accusations of violating international law and blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza. Israel cut off food supplies to Gaza in March and then lifted that blockade in May – but with restrictions that it said were needed to prevent aid from being diverted to militant groups. President Donald Trump also claimed Hamas militants were stealing food coming into Gaza and selling it. However, Reuters reported late last month that an internal U.S. government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by Hamas of U.S.-funded humanitarian supplies. Israel says it is taking steps for more aid to reach Gaza's population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, allowing airdrops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, Israeli tallies show. Gaza's health ministry says Israel's subsequent military assault has killed over 60,000 Palestinians. It has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population and prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations.
