Israel vows to continue targeting ‘terrorists’ in Gaza

The Israeli government on Wednesday ventured into what it called a war on “misinformation” following a wave of condemnations from the world on its aerial bombardments of Gaza.

Instead, officials told the international media that they will continue with Operation Guardians of the Wall to reduce the capabilities of the Hamas group to attack Israel.

Lt-Col Jonathan Conricus, the international spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Forces, said his country will continue to target commanders of Hamas which he also blamed for a series of civilian casualties inside Palestinian territories.

“For Hamas, anybody who is a part of it or anybody who is supporting it is a terrorist target,” he said during a virtual press conference.

‘Responding to aggression’

“What we are doing now is responding to their aggression and their attacks and making sure they pay a heavy price.”

The IDF, he said, were working under standing orders to continue with the operation while minimising civilian casualties.

His assertions came as Israel felled a ten-storey building in Gaza, said to have hosted an office owned by Hamas, the armed group that governs Gaza as a faction of the Palestinian government.

Israel said Hamas had fired more than 1,050 rockets from Gaza, killing five civilians and one combatant in the IDF. But it also said “an abnormal amount of rockets falling short” inside Gaza. Conricus said the Hamas group was firing rockets from civilian bases and using humans as shields.

Since Israel began the offensive on Monday, authorities in Gaza claim 53 people have been killed, including 14 children. Some 300 others were wounded, according to Gaza’s Health ministry. Officials speaking to the media on Wednesday dismissed the figures from Gaza as Hamas’ propaganda.

Lior Haiat, the international spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said Hamas was blaming his country for its own blunders.

“What Hamas is trying to do is to pin blame on Israel for its own atrocities,” he argued, claiming Israel had conducted raids by being “careful not to hit non-combatant targets”.

“The full responsibility of these deaths of civilians and the situation we have got in rests with the terrorist organisations in Gaza…. Some of the kids were killed by rockets fired from Gaza but fell short,” Haiat added when questioned on the death toll of children in the Gaza strip.

Right to self-defence

“We do expect the international community to recognise Israel’s right to self-defence…and to condemn the terrorist attacks from Hamas.”

Israel’s spirited defence came even as they targeted buildings and other installations it said were owned or occupied by Hamas. It said it had killed 20 combatants on Wednesday “some of them in very senior leadership” in Hamas.

Officials refused to discuss whether Israel will call for a ceasefire as the world has demanded, but said they were striking Hamas to weaken and force them to stop firing rockets at Israel.

The bombardment began on Monday after tension arose from forced evictions of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem.

These families have been facing a series of court cases since 1972.

Land grabbing accusation

The debate is whether Jewish communities claiming the land originally owned it before 1948, the definitive year the state of Israel was created. It touched off the land question in Gaza, where Palestinians have accused Israel of land grabbing.

The UN Security Council was expected to meet again on Wednesday evening for an emergency closed-door meeting.

But some of the Council’s members were voicing concerns at the rising tensions after Israel amassed troops at the border and Hamas promised to retaliate. The US called for a cessation of strikes.

“We recognise Israel’s right to defend its people and territory, and we equally believe the Palestinian people need to be able to live in safety and security,” said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to the UN.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said both sides should de-escalate the violence for the sake of civilian safety.

“I am urging Israel and the Palestinians to step back from the brink and for both sides to show restraint.

“The UK is deeply concerned by the growing violence and civilian casualties and we want to see an urgent de-escalation of tensions,” he said on Monday.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti said his country is “deeply concerned at clashes and violence in Haram Al Sharif/Temple Mount”.

Indian, traditionally an Israeli ally, also said the spread of violence into residential neighbourhoods was a danger to the entire region.

“India is equally concerned about evictions in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighbourhoods,” he said after reports emerged of several Palestinians being evicted from their houses.