Tel Aviv, Israel:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel’s war on Hamas would be “long and difficult”, after the army expanded ground operations inside the besieged Gaza Strip.
“The war in the (Gaza) Strip will be long and difficult and we are prepared for it,” Netanyahu told a news conference after meeting families of hostages held in Gaza since shock Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7.
His comments came after Israeli ground troops entered Gaza under cover of a massive air and artillery barrage on Friday evening, opening a new phase in Israel’s campaign.
“This is the second stage of a war whose goals are clear: destroy the military and leadership capabilities of Hamas, and bring the hostages back home,” Netanyahu said.
“We made the decision to expand ground operations unanimously.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Hindkesharistaff and is published from a syndicated feed.)