Israel commits to continuing its challenging military operation in Gaza

The Israeli military has committed to continue its operation in Gaza, despite acknowledging that it is a long and challenging process. In recent developments, the military spokesperson announced that they were expanding their ground operations in both the southern and northern parts of Gaza. On the international front, the United States revealed that President Joe Biden had a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which he stressed the critical importance of protecting civilians. In response, Netanyahu asserted that the war would persist until all Israeli objectives were accomplished. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that nine more soldiers were killed in the ongoing fighting in Gaza, bringing the total number of casualties to 154. Israel claims to have arrested 700 Palestinian militants since the start of its military operation, which aims to eliminate Hamas. On the other hand, Hamas alleges that the majority of the casualties are women and children, a claim that the BBC cannot verify. Israel has previously asserted that it takes precautions to minimize harm to civilians and blames Hamas for operating within densely-populated areas. In another development, Netanyahu and Biden discussed the Israeli operation in Gaza over the phone, with Biden emphasizing the need to safeguard civilians and support humanitarian aid efforts. Meanwhile, the Israeli PM's office stated that Netanyahu made it clear that Israel would persist in the war until all its goals were achieved. Israel initiated its retaliatory operation after Hamas militants crossed into southern Israel from Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the taking of approximately 240 hostages. Since the conflict began, more than 20,000 people have been killed, and 53,000 injured in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The ministry's most recent update stated that in the previous day alone, 201 people were killed, and 368 others were injured. The Israeli military continues its bombing campaign in Gaza, urging civilians to evacuate the area. It also claimed that one of its fighter jets eliminated Hassah Atrash, whom they accused of smuggling weapons into Gaza to arm Hamas, though this has not been confirmed by Hamas. The IDF asserts that it has achieved near-full operational control in the northern region of Gaza and is intensifying operations in the southern part. The UN reported that the latest evacuation order affects 150,000 people located in the center of the territory.