NEW DELHI: Israel wants India to declare Hamas as a terrorist organisation, the country’s ambassador to India Naor Gilon said on Wednesday. “We have communicated this to India. We are in dialogue with the government, it’s a friendly talk,” Gilon added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first world leaders to condemn the October 7 attack on Israel. While India hit out at Hamas for the terror act, it later clarified that no alternative to the two-state solution can bring peace to the region.
As the conflict entered the 19th day, Israel is gearing up for a protracted war with Hamas. It is constantly hitting potential Hamas targets in Gaza while the ground offensive has been delayed due to “tactical and strategic considerations”.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt Col Peter Lerner said on Wednesday that the objective is to destroy Hamas. “A vast majority of areas are safe in Israel, but Hamas may try and infiltrate. So, we will have to destroy Hamas in its entirety,” he said. Israel has roped in 3 lakh reservists for the ongoing war. The IDF’s priority is to locate and bring back the 222 hostages who have been held captive by Hamas. Four hostages have been released so far.
On Wednesday, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said that they would deny visas to UN officials after a remark by Secretary General Antonio Guterres appeared to justify the Hamas attack.
Meanwhile, Gaza is running out of fuel and other essential items. Hospitals are low on fuel, which means if not replenished soon, there would be no scope for survival of patients in intensive care units.
Hezbollah huddle with Hamas, Islamic Jihad
Senior officials of Hamas and Islamic Jihad have held talks with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the Lebanese group said on Wednesday. The talks focused on achieving “real victory” against Israel. Hezbollah and the Palestinian groups agreed to coordinate