Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz following the latter’s announcement that Berlin would freeze arms shipments to Israel intended for the war in Gaza. Netanyahu said Germany was rewarding terrorism instead of “supporting Israel’s just war against Hamas, which carried out the most brutal attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”
According to Merz's statement, who has expressed support for Israel and its war against Hamas in the past, all weapons that could serve the IDF in fighting in the Gaza Strip are banned from export.
Netanyahu decided on the full occupation framework after concluding that there is no longer any possibility for a hostage deal with Hamas.
According to the report, four separate sources who are experts in military activity and familiar with IDF operational patterns claimed that the images show significant buildup of forces and equipment ahead of a possible operation within Gaza territory.
Netanyahu argued to Trump that reports of starvation in the Strip are Hamas fabrication, but Trump cut him off sharply and said he was not prepared to hear that it was fake, adding that he had received proof that there are hungry children in Gaza.
According to British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters, as long as Israel recognized in principle the two-state solution, it enjoyed the world's protection, but once the annexation policy became official, Europe must express opposition.
During a multi-front situational assessment, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir made a veiled reference to recent tensions over the government’s reported intention to conquer the Gaza Strip, stating: “We are dealing with matters of life and death, with the defense of the state. And we do so while looking our soldiers and citizens straight in the eye.”
The flotilla, which will last about two hours, will proceed continuously without stopping at sea and is not expected to approach too close to Gaza's coast due to concerns over high trajectory fire.
As Israel's cabinet weighs a plan to sieze the last 25% of the Gaza Strip, fears grow within the IDF over potential Hamas abductions in an operation could cost up to $5.4 billion and last six months.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir is expected to present the cabinet with the risks of launching a full scale operation in Gaza. According to Zamir, Hamas has had 22 months to prepare, the IDF does not hold a battlefield advantage, and the hostages could end up paying the price.
