Israel Netanyahu: Hamas terror army will soon be crushed

The most important stage in the war against the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip could soon be over, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"We are moving towards the end of the phase of dismantling Hamas' terror army," he said in Jerusalem at a reception for cadets of the National Defense Academy. "We will continue to fight their remnants."

Netanyahu had previously spoken with members of the Gaza Division, which currently has soldiers deployed in the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. He had seen "very considerable progress" there, he said. The offensive on the border with Egypt is aimed at destroying the last major Hamas combat units. However, the Islamist militia remains militarily active in the form of smaller units.

The words of the Israeli head of government indicate that the major ground offensive by the Israeli armed forces in the Gaza Strip could soon come to an end. It began three weeks after the unprecedented massacre committed by Hamas and other extremist groups in southern Israel on October 7. The terrorist attack, which left 1,200 people dead on the Israeli side and around 250 kidnapped hostages, triggered the Gaza war, which Israel initially launched with massive air strikes.

However, the end of the ground offensive would not necessarily mean an end to the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu and senior military officials have often pointed out that Israeli troops would remain in strategic locations in the sealed-off coastal area even after the phase of intense fighting.

Relatives of Hamas victims sue North Korea

Relatives of the victims of the Hamas attack last October have sued several third countries in the USA for their alleged support of the Islamist terrorist organization. Iran, Syria and North Korea enabled Hamas to carry out the massacre in the first place with weapons, money and training, according to the lawsuit filed by the human rights organization Anti-Defamation League in a federal court in Washington on behalf of 125 victims and their families.

The plaintiffs are demanding compensation of at least four billion US dollars (3.7 billion euros) for the abduction and murder of their relatives. If the lawsuit is successful, the families could be compensated from a fund set up by the US Congress for victims of terrorism. The money comes from confiscated assets and fines, for example from companies that have done illegal business with states that have been classified and sanctioned as terror supporters.

Iranian general threatens Israel with new missile attack

A high-ranking Iranian general has threatened arch-enemy Israel with a massive new missile attack. A few months ago, the two countries were already on the brink of a war that could have triggered a conflagration in the Middle East. In mid-April, Iran attacked Israel with hundreds of drones and missiles, most of which were intercepted by its air defenses. The background to the attack was a suspected Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy compound in the Syrian capital Damascus, in which two generals were killed.

The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' air force, General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, has now said that he hopes for the opportunity of a second such operation. "I don't know how many missiles will be needed for this," he added.

The threat is likely to be linked to the recent tensions between Israel and Lebanon. Just last weekend, the Iranian UN mission threatened a "devastating war" in the event of an escalation between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia.

SDA