Israel continues its fight for survival across several fronts, from Gaza to Lebanon to Tehran. Alongside its military campaigns, Israel faces growing challenges in the halls of the U.S. Congress. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Netzarim Corridor in the Gaza Strip alongside Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz. He emphasized one of Israel’s primary war goals. “Hamas will not rule in Gaza. We are eliminating its military capabilities in very impressive fashion. We are moving on to its governing abilities, and we are not yet done. Hamas will not be in Gaza,” he said. Netanyahu also reiterated Israel’s commitment to locating and rescuing hostages, including seven Israeli Americans, and issued a direct warning to their captors. “Whoever dares to harm our hostages – will pay the price. We will pursue you and we will find you. Whoever brings us a hostage will find a safe way out for himself and his family. We will also give $5 million for every hostage. Choose, the choice is yours, but the result will be the same. We will bring them all back.”
Meanwhile, in southern Lebanon, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are systematically targeting Hezbollah terrorists and their military infrastructure. U.S. presidential advisor Amos Hochstein travelled to Beirut for a cease-fire talk and expressed optimism about a potential ceasefire. “We have a real opportunity to bring this conflict to an end. This is a moment of decision-making.” He stressed that it is ultimately up to the parties to reach a deal. “So as the window is now, I hope the coming days yield a resolute decision.” However, IDF reserves Sergeant Major Doron Keidar who recently fought in southern Lebanon, called for Israel to maintain pressure on Hezbollah and complete its mission. “I feel that Israel should have complete control of southern Lebanon up to the Litani, where we have a defensible border between us and Lebanon. And that we should eliminate every threat within that buffer zone from Hezbollah and also beyond the Litani.”
He also addressed the possibility of future rocket attacks. “If there are any threats of rockets or what have you, then I believe we should carry a very heavy hand against those threats to our citizens,” Keidar said. In Tehran, Iran has responded with renewed threats to retaliate for Israel’s strike on October 26. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated, “The Islamic Republic of Iran considers itself fully entitled to respond to this attack.” The United Nations nuclear watchdog groups reported that Iran has significantly increased its amount of enriched uranium, one step short of the capacity to produce four nuclear weapons. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warns that the window for negotiations to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear capabilities is closing rapidly. While Israel fights a seven-front war, it faces opposition on Capitol Hill. Senator Bernie Sanders and Democratic allies have introduced legislation to ban U.S. arms and military aid to Israel. Sanders labelled Israel’s actions in Gaza “unspeakable.”
However, incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune countered with a strong message of support for Israel and the Jewish people. “We will stand with Israel and make other supportive legislation a top priority in the next Congress,” he said. Thune assured them that change is coming in January. “So, to our allies in Israel and to the Jewish people around the world, my message to you is this: reinforcements are on the way.”
Source: CBNNews
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