Invasion timing to be decided by consensus, says Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu

jerusalem, October 25

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised statement on Wednesday that the timing of a ground invation would be reached by consensus in his country. Refusing to give any other detail, he said Israel had been preparing for the ground invasion. He said the decision on when forces would go into the blockaded Palestinian enclave would be taken by the government’s special war cabinet. Israel intensified its overnight bombing of southern Gaza, where officials said record numbers of Palestinians were killed again, as violence flared elsewhere in West Asia and a showdown loomed at the UN on Wednesday over desperately needed aid.

No relief operation without fuel: UN

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees warns that without deliveries of fuel it will soon have to sharply cut back relief operations across the Gaza Strip.

‘Iran trained terrorists’

At least 500 Hamas and Palestinian terrorists received training from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force before the October 7 massacre, a media report stated.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled from north to south in the tiny, crowded enclave after Israel warned them it would bombard the north, including Gaza City, to wipe out Hamas after its killing and kidnapping spree in Israel on October 7.

Israeli warplanes also struck Syrian army infrastructure in response to rockets fired from Syria, an ally of Iran, the Israeli military said. Syrian state media said Israel had killed eight soldiers and wounded seven more near the southwestern city of Deraa, and hit Aleppo airport in the northwest, already out of action.

Meanwhile, the United States and Russia are leading rival calls at the UN for a pause in fighting to allow aid into Gaza, where living conditions are harrowing with medical care crippled due to a lack of electricity, and food and clean water scarce. In proposals the UN Security Council was expected to consider, the US is seeking short pauses to allow aid in while Russia advocates a wider ceasefire. Israel has resisted both, arguing that Hamas would only take advantage and create new threats to its civilians.

British PM Rishi Sunak also supported a humanitarian pause in the conflict to allow the safe delivery of aid to civilians, but he rejected calls for a full ceasefire.

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees warned that without immediate deliveries of fuel it will soon have to sharply cut back relief operations across the Gaza Strip. — Agencies