Netanyahu Announces 'Second Stage' of Gaza Operations

Facts

• Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had entered the Gaza Strip as part of the 'second stage of the war' against Hamas militants.¹
• Warning Israelis to expect a 'long and hard' military campaign ahead, Netanyahu argued that ground incursions in the Gaza Strip would 'destroy Hamas' governing and military capabilities' and bring back the hostages taken in the incursion of Oct. 7.²
• Describing the military operation against Hamas as the country's 'second war of independence' since 1948, Netanyahu added that the offensive's goal is to 'destroy the enemy above ground and below ground.'³
• Previously terming the nation an invader, Turkish Pres. Tayyip Erdogan had vowed to declare Israel a war criminal, stating: '[The blame for] the Gaza massacre lies entirely with the West, as the conflict in the region is its brainchild.'⁴
• Following Erdogan's criticism of the country, Israel said it was pulling its 'diplomatic representatives from Turkey' and would reassess Israel-Turkey relations 'in light of the escalating rhetoric' from Ankara.⁵
• In other news, landline, mobile, and internet services have gradually been restored in Gaza after a near-total communications blackout for nearly 36 hours following Israeli air strikes on Friday.⁶

Sources: ¹The New York Times, ²Reuters, ³Al Jazeera (a), ⁴TASS, ⁵The Times of Israel and ⁶Al Jazeera (b).

Narratives

• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by The Wire. The Gaza Strip is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, as Israel continues to pound the Palestinian civilian population. More than 8K people are now dead, half of them children. Western countries must stop turning a blind eye to the massacre of innocent people in Gaza.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Daily Mail. Israel has a right to self-defense following Hamas' continuous terror attacks on its territory. The IDF is striking the network's targets in Gaza as it maintains pressure on the terror organization. Tel Aviv will not rest until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages currently in Gaza are safely returned.

Predictions