Matthew Knott
Israel has declared it intends to kill Hamas’ most senior leader as part of its efforts to obliterate the militant group, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formed a special war cabinet including his top political opponent to lead the expected ground invasion of Gaza.
As Israel continued to pummel urban areas in Gaza with airstrikes, there were fears Palestinian hospitals were on the verge of turning into morgues because the enclave’s only power station had run out of electricity and shut down.
‘‘Every Hamas member is a dead man,’’ Netanyahu said in a televised address.
The White House was forced to walk back claims by President Joe Biden yesterday that he had seen pictures of beheaded Israeli children, a blunder that came as Egypt rejected a US proposal to provide safe passage to Palestinians seeking to flee Israel’s bombardment.
ASIO director-general Mike Burgess said he was concerned about the ‘‘potential for opportunistic violence with little or no warning’’ in Australia amid the crisis, but his organisation has not lifted the terrorist threat level from possible to probable.
‘‘In this context, it is important that all parties consider the implications for social cohesion when making public statements,’’ Burgess said in a statement.
‘‘As I have said previously, words matter. ASIO has seen direct connections between inflamed language and inflamed community tensions.’’
Burgess’ intervention came as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton escalated his rhetoric by calling for pro-Palestinian protesters who chanted antisemitic slogans to be deported if they were in Australia on temporary visas.
Israeli military spokesman Richard Hecht said yesterday that defence forces ‘‘are preparing for a ground manoeuvre if decided’’ but that political leaders had not yet ordered one.
It would be Israel’s first ground invasion of Gaza since 2014, a move that would probably lead to door-to door combat and heavy casualties on both sides.
‘‘Right now we are focused on taking out their senior leadership,’’ Hecht said. ‘‘Not only the military leadership, but also the governmental leadership, all the way up to [Hamas’s top political leader Yehiyeh] Sinwar. They were directly connected.’’
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said at a press conference: ‘‘We will wipe out this thing called Hamas. It will not continue to exist. There will be no situation in which Israeli children are murdered and we all go about our business.’’
Israel’s military said the latest strikes had targeted Hamas’ elite Nukhba forces, including command centres used by fighters who attacked Israel at the weekend, and the home of a senior Hamas naval operative it alleged was used to store unspecified weapons.
The latest airstrikes killed 51 people in Gaza and injured 281, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
Footage from Gaza showed entire blocks reduced to rubble and search-and-rescue volunteers pulling Palestinian children out from under destroyed buildings
The total death toll in Gaza stood at more than 1200, while the number of people killed in Israel passed 1300.
As well as Netanyahu, Israel’s new war cabinet will include Benny Gantz, the nation’s main opposition leader and a former defence minister; current defence minister Gallant; and two other officials, including a former defence chief of staff, as ‘‘observer’’ members.
‘‘The Jewish nation is unified, and today its leadership is also unified,’’ Netanyahu said. ‘‘We put aside every other consideration because the fate of our nation is at stake.’’
Fabrizio Carboni, regional director of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Crescent, said: ‘‘As Gaza loses power, hospitals lose power, putting newborns in incubators and elderly patients on oxygen at risk. Kidney dialysis stops, and X-rays can’t be taken. Without electricity, hospitals risk turning into morgues.’’
Ghassan Abu-Sittah, a surgeon at Gaza City’s main hospital, al-Shifa, said: ‘‘The hospital is completely full and things have started to run low. And this is only day four.’’
In a social media post yesterday, Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said electricity and fuel supplies would not return to Gaza until Israeli hostages were handed back.
‘‘Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electrical switch will be turned on, no water hydrant will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home,’’ he said, adding no one would ‘‘preach us morals’’ on the issue.
The Age- Letters
Repression no solution
We are at this dire point due to the policies of Israel, which believes its powerful military can resolve the Palestinian question by continuing to occupy and repress the Palestinian people. What we have witnessed over the decades is that this leads inevitably to more rebellion and uprisings. And the brutalising effect of enforcing the occupation and oppression only breeds more brutality on both sides.
Governments and some politicians in some countries ignore or excuse blatant Israeli human rights violations and breaches of international laws do neither side a favour. This just creates more obstacles to a just peace.
Despite talking about peace with Palestinians, Israel has kept delaying meaningful discussions and used this time to change facts on the ground in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. This results in further death and destruction, not a resolution of the Palestine problem.
Steven Katsineris, Hurstbridge
Who controls Gaza?
As a former Israeli, it is important for me to clarify the description of ‘‘Who controls Gaza today,’’ (‘‘The Gaza Strip explained’’, 11/10). The actual ruler of Gaza, even today, is Israel.
Israel controls every aspect of life there: electricity (four hours a day per house), and water (90 per cent of tap water is undrinkable). There is no sea port, no airport. It is the largest prison in the world, with a deliberately starved, poor population that can do nothing to change its situation.
It is important to know this when trying to understand recent events.
Nachshon Amir, Sandringham