The head of the Israeli military has issued a stern warning that the ongoing conflict in Gaza will not cease until the hostages held by Hamas are released. He threatened that if negotiations to free those detained in the besieged territory fail, the fighting in Gaza will continue.
On Saturday, August 2, Al Jazeera reported that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed there are 49 hostages remaining in Gaza, with only 22 believed to be alive.
In a statement, IDF Chief of Staff Yaal Jamar said, “I suspect that in the coming days we will know whether we can reach an agreement to free our captives. If not, the fighting will continue.” Meanwhile, Israel’s Defense Minister claimed that Hamas members in Beit Hanoun have surrendered. To support this claim, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz shared a video showing what appears to be three individuals emerging from a destroyed city, kneeling with their hands raised. A separate photo shared on X (formerly Twitter) depicts three unarmed men in only underwear, walking out of tunnels and rubble, with Katz captioning that they are emerging from tunnels in the destroyed city.
Throughout Saturday, as Israeli forces carried out successive strikes across the valley, the defense minister posted his claims. The day saw at least 24 deaths in various locations, including relief centers and other sites targeted by Israeli attacks. However, the actual number of casualties is believed to be higher, as Gaza’s health ministry has yet to complete its tally of the day’s casualties. The ongoing Israeli offensive continues to cause widespread devastation and loss of life in Gaza amid intense fighting.
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