The families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza have issued an urgent demand for immediate transparency, following US President Donald Trump's shocking claim that only 21 hostages remain alive in Hamas captivity.
According to Smotrich, the goals are that "Gaza will be completely destroyed. All its residents concentrated south of the Morag axis and flowing outward." He says Israel to get victory within year.
The Diplomatic-Security Cabinet has approved a wide-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip dubbed "Gideon’s Chariots," aimed at defeating Hamas and securing the release of Israeli hostages.
The plan includes conquering the Gaza Strip and holding territory, moving the civilian population southward for its protection, and preventing Hamas from distributing humanitarian aid.
"It's time to stop fearing the word occupation," Smotrich said, outlining Israel's strategy in Gaza and discussing ultra-Orthodox conscription at a conference.
The IDF is preparing to step up military pressure on Hamas in a bid to free the hostages and topple the terrorist organization from power. The Israeli army says Hamas still has operational capabilities, with at least two functioning brigades.
A flight path analysis of a Hercules aircraft shows the plane took off from Israel, circled above Malta, descended near the site of the strike, and returned to Israel, according to the Malta Times. Activists from the organization behind the flotilla claimed the ship was attacked by drones. Maltese officials were incensed: "An unauthorized military overflight of a neutral country."
Freedom Flotilla activists claimed Friday that Israel attacked one of their vessels carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza near the coast of Malta in international waters.
The activists attempted to reach a US Air Force aircraft that had stopped at the location for refueling but were caught by the airport's security unit and removed from the site.
An IDF soldier was left alone inside the Gaza Strip for approximately 40 minutes during a military operation earlier this week, the IDF confirmed, calling the incident a "serious operational failure."