As the Jewish holiday of Passover began, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that he is determined to intensify military pressure on Hamas in order to secure the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. In a video message released on the eve of Passover, Netanyahu stated that additional and impactful strikes will be carried out to increase both military and political pressure on Hamas. He emphasized that this approach is necessary to free the hostages.
Netanyahu has been signaling for some time his intention to launch a ground attack on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, where a significant population has sought refuge. The objective of this operation would be to dismantle the last major stronghold of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army has identified the location of the hostages taken by Hamas during an attack on October 7 as being in Rafah.
On Sunday evening, an Israeli army spokesman announced that the Chief of Staff had approved the next stages of the conflict, although specific details were not provided. The spokesman reiterated the commitment to continue the fight until
