On 28th October, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu said fighting (the Hamas terrorists) inside the Gaza Strip would be “long and difficult“. He assured that Israel is prepared for the on-ground operation inside the Gaza Strip. The Israeli forces have been operating inside the Gaza Strip for over 24 hours. Speaking to the media, Netanyahu said, “The war in the (Gaza) Strip will be long and difficult, and we are prepared for it.”
Hostages’ families fear for the lives of their loved ones
Netanyahu also met the families of the hostages whom the Hamas terrorists took away during the 7th October terrorist attack on southern Israel that killed 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals. Israel has assured the families that they can achieve both goals of rescuing hostages and destroying Hamas simultaneously. However, according to the Associated Press report, the families of the hostages are afraid of their fate.
Following the intensified air strikes in Gaza on 28th October, the families protested outside the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv and demanded a meeting with the PM and other officials. Netanyahu met them and assured them to “exercise and exhaust every possibility to bring them home”. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is scheduled to meet the families on 29th October.
Hamas offered to exchange hostages for prisoners
Meanwhile, Hamas has reportedly offered Israel an exchange. The terrorist organisation claimed it would release all the hostages if Israel released all Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Notably, Israel has done prison exchanges in the past. In 2011, they released 1,000 prisoners in exchange for one soldier identified as Gilad Schalit, who was kidnapped and taken to Gaza. One of the prisoners released was Hamas’ top leader, Yehi Sinwar, who was convicted of killing many Israeli nationals.
PM Modi and the Egyptian President discussed the Israel-Hamas war over the phone
On 28th October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to discuss the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The two leaders discussed the conflict and humanitarian situation in West Asia. They shared concerns about the escalating terrorism, violence and loss of civilian lives.
Yesterday, spoke with President @AlsisiOfficial. Exchanged views on the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in West Asia. We share concerns regarding terrorism, violence and loss of civilian lives. We agree on the need for early restoration of peace and stability…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 29, 2023
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi wrote, “Yesterday, I spoke with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Exchanged views on the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in West Asia. We share concerns regarding terrorism, violence and loss of civilian lives. We agree on the need for early restoration of peace and stability and facilitating humanitarian assistance.”
Israel Hamas war
On 7th October (local time), Hamas launched the worst terrorist attack on southern Israel, killing at least 1,300 Israelis and foreign nationals, including children, elderly and women. Over 200 people were taken hostage by the Hamas terrorists. Women were raped, children were killed in front of their parents, the elderly were shot dead point black in their homes, Israeli soldiers were killed, and the terrorists mutilated their bodies during the attack. Israel launched a counter-strike on Hamas. So far, around 8,000 lives have been lost in Israeli air strikes. Israel has warned the civilians multiple times to evacuate, but reports suggest that Hamas terrorists kept stopping them. Meanwhile, India launched Operation Ajay to rescue Indians from Israel. On 29th October, the Israel-Hamas war entered its 22nd day.
