While the Israeli army confirmed on Sunday May 4, the recall of “tens of thousands of reservists” for its offensive in Gaza, the government of Benyamin Netanyahu approved a new combat plan providing for the “conquest” of the Palestinian territory, with the aim of “defeating the Islamist movement” and ensuring the “return of” Israeli after more than 19 months of war. This military campaign provides for the move of “most” of the Palestinians “outside the combat zones,” said Israel.
On another forehead, tension also rises with Iran. Tehran denied this Monday military aid to the Houthis rebels in Yemen on Monday, which claimed an unprecedented missile shot the day before at Tel Aviv airport. Benyamin Netanyahu promised to retaliate against the Houthis and Iran, their ally. At the end of the day, the Houthis accused the United States and Israel of having carried out reprisals on the port of Hodeida, as well as on its capital Sanaa.
Info to remember
⇒ Israel approves a plan providing for the “conquest” of the Gaza Strip
⇒ The UN and the EU say they are alarmed
⇒ Hamas accuses Israel of using humanitarian aid as a means of “political blackmail”
“Israeli-American” reprisal strikes in Yemen
The Houthis rebels of Yemen, allies of Palestine, announced on Monday “American-Israeli air raids” in the governorate of Hodeida, on the Red Sea, the day after a missile shot on the main airport of Israel which they had claimed. Earlier in the day, the Houthis also accused the United States of having led a dozen new strikes on Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, making 16 injured. An Israeli official confirmed to AFP that his country had led air strikes in Yemen shortly after the announcement by the American-Israeli “strikes” in Hodeida.
The day before for the first time, a missile pulled by the Houthis struck directly inside the perimeter of Ben Gerion airport, near Tel Aviv, according to the Israeli army. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to retaliate against the Houthis and against Iran, their ally. The main support of Israel, the United States has intensified its attacks on the Houthis since the return of Donald Trump in January to the White House.
The EU and the UN “concerned” and “alarmed” by the new Israeli plan
The European Union is “concerned” by the new Israeli plan providing for the “conquest” of the Gaza Strip, and calls for the “greatest restraint”, spokesman for his diplomatic service said on Monday. “The European Union is concerned about the planned extension of the Israeli Forces operation in Gaza which will lead to new victims and sufferings for the Palestinian population. We urge Israel to show the greatest restraint,” said the spokesman, Anouar El Anouni, during the daily press point of the European Commission.
The UN Secretary General too “is alarmed by this information from Israeli plans to extend land operations and extend his military presence in Gaza. This will inevitably lead to an incalculable number of additional civilians and more destruction of Gaza,” said Farhan Haq, stressing that the Gaza Strip is “an integral part of a future Palestinian State” said a spokesperson on Monday.
The Israeli government approves a plan providing for the “conquest” of the Gaza Strip
Israel announced on Monday the expansion of its offensive in the Gaza Strip, providing for the “conquest” of the Palestinian territory, with the aim of “defeating the Islamist movement” and ensuring the “hostage return” after more than 19 months of war. The Israeli politico-security firm approved the new combat plan overnight, an Israeli official source said on Monday. Sunday evening, the Israeli army had confirmed the recall of “tens of thousands of reservists” for its offensive in Gaza.
The objective displayed by the government of Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, one of the most right in the history of Israel, is still to defeat the Islamist Hamas movement, whose unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023 in Israel, sparked war in Palestinian territory. “The plan will include, among other things, the conquest of the Gaza Strip and the control of territories,” the source said in a press release. Unanimously approved by the cabinet bringing together the government ministers, this plan provides “powerful strikes against Hamas”, according to the same source.
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The Family Forum, the largest association of hostage relatives in Israel, reacted by accusing the government of “sacrificing” hostages in Gaza: “This morning, the government admits that it chooses the territory rather than hostages, unlike the wishes of more than 70 % of the population”, denounced a press release from the association. Later in the day, Israel announced that it would leave open, until mid-May, a “window” of negotiations for the release of the hostages detained in the Gaza Strip, while its troops prepare the attack on Hamas, on the basis of a plan proposed by Washington.
The Israeli Prime Minister also said during the meeting that he “continued to promote the Trump plan to allow the voluntary departure of the inhabitants of Gaza and that negotiations on this subject continued,” said the same source. This project had aroused international outcry, but the Israeli authorities have continued to refer to it in recent months, in particular by creating a special administration responsible for allowing the Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip, or by mentioning the search for host countries.
This new military campaign on the Gaza Strip will include a large-scale attack and the displacement of most of the Gaza Strip population “outside the combat zones, said Brigadier General Defrin, spokesperson for the Israeli army at the end of the day. The Gaza Strip, which almost all of the inhabitants have already been moved to the war several times ago to an airtight blockade by Israel for more than two months.
Hamas accuses Israel of using humanitarian aid as a means of “political blackmail”
The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas accused Israel on Monday of using humanitarian aid as a means of “political blackmail” and of carrying responsibility for “aggravation of the humanitarian disaster” in the Gaza Strip. “We reject the use of humanitarian aid as a means of political blackmail,” said Hamas in a statement, adding that “the continuous obstruction of the entrance to the aid” since March 2 returned Israel “fully responsible for the aggravation of the humanitarian disaster” in the Palestinian territory.
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During a meeting of the cabinet, the Israeli government approved on Sunday evening the “possibility of a humanitarian distribution” in Gaza, subject to a total Israeli blockade since March 2, if it were to be “necessary”. For the time being, the cabinet has estimated that there was “currently enough food” in the territory according to the official source.
International aid organizations, as well as Gazaouis, have been testifying for weeks to a dramatic humanitarian situation in this small territory, in particular because of the shortages of basic necessities. The World Food Program (PAM), one of the main food suppliers in the Gaza Strip,, for example, announced on April 25 that it has “exhausted all its stocks” in the Palestinian territory.
Iran denies having helped the Houthis after the missile shot at an airport in Israel
Iran denied Monday all military aid to the Houthis rebels in Yemen who claimed a missile shot at the main international airport in Israel, in the name of the defense of the Palestinians of Gaza. “The action of the Yemenis in favor of the Palestinian people was an independent decision carried out in solidarity” with the Palestinians, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
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Iran is a support from the Houthis, which have controlled large sides of Yemen at war since 2014. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu promised reprisals against the Houthi rebels but also Iran for having argued these insurgents. “Israel will respond to (this) attack by Houthis […] And in due time and in a place chosen by us, to their Iranian terrorist masters, “he wrote on the social network X.
Reacting to these threats, Iran assured on Monday that it would retaliate for any attack on its territory. “Iran underlines (its) Farm determination […] To defend itself, “said the press release from Iranian diplomacy, warning Israel and the United States” consequences “of a possible attack.
