NEW DELHI: Amid intense fightback against the massacre by Hamas, Israel’s deeply fractured polity demonstrated rare political unity as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz on Wednesday agreed to create a wartime cabinet to give the terrorists a fitting response.
The new wartime cabinet will consist of Netanyahu, former defence minister Gantz, and current defence minister Yoav Gallant. The new Cabinet will only deal with the war. The rest of the existing cabinet of the ruling coalition comprising far-right and ultra-Orthodox representatives, will function as usual.
Not the entire opposition is on the same page yet, as Israel’s main opposition leader, Yair Lapid, is yet to give his consent to join the war cabinet. The Gaza Strip ruled by Hamas is already powerless as its lone power plant is out of fuel with little scope for replenishment due to Israel’s blockade of the 40 km-long strip wedged within Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.
Israeli airstrikes demolished entire neighbourhoods in Gaza that has a population of 2.3 million. Besides, nine UN staffers in Palestine have been killed in retaliatory Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. Hamas fighters have an estimated 150 hostages, including soldiers, women and children and the elderly. There was still some fighting reported in Israel. Its troops swept every house in Gaza border communities of Kibbutz Be’eri and Re’im to flush out Hamas fighters. In Be’eri, they killed 108 Hamas men.
Hamas claimed Israeli airstrikes on the family house of Mohammad Deif, the leader of Hamas’s military wing, killed his father, brother and at least two other relatives in the southern town of Khan Younis.
Back home, India established a control room for its citizens in both Israel and Palestine (see box).
Later in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced the launch of Operation Ajay to facilitate the return from Israel of those Indians who wish to come home. “Launching #OperationAjay to facilitate the return from Israel of our citizens who wish to return,” Jaishankar posted on X.
“Special charter flights and other arrangements being put in place. Fully committed to the safety and well-being of our nationals abroad,” he said.Nepal, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, too, are preparing to evacuate their nationals.
Indian helplines in Tel Aviv, Ramallah
India has set up helplines in Tel Aviv and Ramallah. The phone numbers at the Delhi control room are 1800118797 (Toll free), +91-11 23012113, +91-11-23014104, +91-11-23017905m +919968291988. The email is situationroom@mea.gov.in. The helpline of the Embassy of India in Tel Aviv can be accessed on +97235226748, +972-543278392 and email cons1.telaviv@mea.gov.in. The contact details in Ramallah are: +970-592916418 (also WhatsApp), rep.ramallah@mea.gov.in (email). Indian nationals in Israel include about 900 students, caregivers for elders, diamond traders and IT professionals
Talks on safe passage for civilians: U.S.
The US is in active talks to allow safe passage out of Gaza for civilians, White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday. “We are having active conversations about trying to allow for that safe passage. It’s the civilians who did nothing wrong so we want to make sure they have a way out,” Kirby said. Meanwhile, Arab foreign ministers called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The call came in a statement after their meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, which was called by the Palestinians to discuss the war. It condemned the killing of civilians on both sides and called for the release of all detainees held by Israel or Hamas
No justification for brutality: Ursula
Lighting into Hamas for its brutality, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a hard-hitting statement said, “There can be no justification for Hamas’ act of terror. This has nothing to do with the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people. The horror that Hamas has unleashed will bring more suffering upon innocent Palestinians. Only Hamas is responsible for its actions.” These innocents were killed for for one single reason — they were Jewish and lived in Israel, she said. “We have to be clear in defining this kind of horror. It is terrorism. And it is an act of war.”