“Israel in a war it did not start and it did not seek”: IDF has announced the start of the next phase of offensive against Gaza

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) said on Sunday that it is entering a new phase of its ongoing battle against Hamas and will unleash an assault from land, sea, and air in Gaza.

“The Israel Defence Forces is expanding its operations. We are moving to the next phase of our war against Hamas, Gaza from the air, land and Sea. On October 7, the Hamas committed a crime against humanity. Israel is in a war it did not start and it did not seek. Hamas is attacking Israeli civilians while firing from among dozens of civilians. These are both war crimes,” IDF spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari, said in a personalised video message.

Reiterating his accusation that Hamas militants were exploiting people as human shields in the ongoing battle, Hagari encouraged Hamas to move south of Gaza.

“Our fight is with Hamas, not with the people of Gaza. Hamas uses the people of Gaza as human shields by embedding itself among them in schools, masks and hospitals. As we have revealed. Hamas terrorists operate inside and under civilian buildings precisely because they know the IDF distinguishes between terrorists and civilians. This is why the IDF has been warning Gazans for over two weeks through multiple means of communication to move away from Hamas strongholds,” the IDF spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, according to The Jerusalem Post, IDF soldiers who infiltrated Gaza on Saturday put the Israeli flag on one of the homes in the vicinity.