Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited military troops in Gaza on Monday and received security briefings amid a ceasefire with the Hamas militant group.
Netanyahu said they would continue the fight until the end and until they achieved victory against their attackers. In a video statement, the Israeli prime minister said nothing would stop them. His remarks were made while being surrounded by Israeli soldiers and he was seen wearing protective gear.
Netanyahu's Trip to Gaza
It was not immediately clear when Netanyahu visited the troops as the Israeli government withheld information about his visit until he exited the Palestinian enclave. However, he was most likely in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli military has established control.
The visit was the prime minister's first to Gaza since the beginning of the Israeli ground invasion nearly a month ago. Officials who traveled with him included his national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, and his military secretary, Maj. Gen. Avi Gil, and the Israeli military's deputy chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Amir Baram, as per the New York Times.
The Israeli government also released photographs that showed Netanyahu wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and a khaki flak jacket and helmet. He was looking at a map and consulting with commanders while standing inside a tunnel the military had recently exposed.
The ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas militant group started on Friday and is part of a deal that includes the release of at least 50 Israeli hostages by the latter. This would be in exchange for at least 150 Palestinian prisoners and increased aid for Gaza.
The Middle Eastern nation has offered to extend the ceasefire by one day for every additional ten hostages that Hamas releases. On Sunday evening, the militant group announced that it sought to extend the truce, which was initially set to expire on Tuesday.
During his visit, Netanyahu also said that they were making every effort to return the hostages home and pledged to bring back all of them. According to AA, the four-day humanitarian pause was mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.
Releasing of Hostages
The development comes as Israel launched a military campaign in the Gaza Strip following the Hamas militant group's attack on Oct. 7. The fighting has since resulted in the death of at least 14,854 Palestinians, including 6,150 children and more than 4,000 women.
The latest batch of hostages that Hamas released totaled 17, including 14 Israelis and the first American. Some of the hostages were directly handed over to Israel, while others traveled through Egypt. The Israeli military said that one of the hostages was airlifted directly to a hospital.
In a statement, United States President Joe Biden said that the elderly woman was "very sick and was in need of immediate medical help." The latest batch of released hostages range in age from four to 84. They included Abigail Edan, the youngest whose parents were killed in the initial Hamas assault, said Inquirer.
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