Israel's security agency Shin Bet advises on ending offensive in Gaza Strip: Report
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid had said that the military operation in the Gaza Strip will continue "as long as necessary."
Israel's domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet advised on August 7 that the ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip should be stopped, according to an Israeli media report. Notably, for the third day in a row, Israeli warplanes continued their airstrikes in the Palestinian territory that is under blockade, leaving 29 people dead and over 250 others hurt.
Ronan Bar, the director of Shin Bet, reportedly told the Israeli security cabinet that the Islamic Jihad organisation was severely damaged as a result of the airstrikes in Gaza, according to the Walla news website. According to Bar, Israel succeeded in achieving a "planned strategic goal" by keeping the Hamas organisation, which controls the Gaza Strip, out of the ongoing conflict, the media agency reported.
Israel justified its military offensive in Gaza by citing an "imminent threat of attack" by the Islamic Jihad group. Following the arrest of Bassam al-Saadi, a senior leader of Islamic Jihad, during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin earlier this week, tensions in the Palestinian territories have risen as a result of the attacks. Moreover, the Israeli army announced on August 6 that the Gaza offensive could last a week.
Military operation in the Gaza Strip will continue as long as necessary: Lapid
The military operation in the Gaza Strip will continue "as long as necessary," Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on August 7. The Islamic Jihad organisation has responded with retaliatory rocket fire in response to the Israeli offensive. According to Lapid's comments, which were cited by the public broadcaster KAN, the airstrikes in Gaza are conducted in a "reasonable way to reduce to a minimum the harm to noncombatants."
According to him, Israeli intelligence and operational work led to the death of senior Islamic Jihad commander Khaled Mansour on August 6 during an airstrike in Gaza. Benny Gantz, the Israeli defence minister stated that the Israeli army and Shin Bet internal security service will continue to take action against the Islamic Jihad organisation until he claimed that there are no longer any threats to Israeli citizens.
(With agency inputs, Image: AP)
Published By : Aparna Shandilya
Published On: 7 August 2022 at 20:48 IST